MEMBERS of the Parliamentary committee want to punish the private investigator, Mr. Paul O’Sullivan, who left before he finished answering the questions when he appeared before the committee last week.
Members of the committee said that O’Sullivan’s willingness to return to finish answering questions on Thursday does not mean that he should be forgiven for his sins of last week.
He said this during the meeting yesterday. O’Sullivan left committee members gasping as he stormed out of the meeting.
O’Sullivan said he was in a hurry to get on the plane. The leading witness to the committee, Advocate Norman Arendse, said O’Sullivan agreed to appear before the committee on Thursday where he will finish answering questions.
“We have ordered him to give us a letter in which he undertakes that he will indeed appear before the committee. If he fails to do so, we will send him a summons and compel him to appear before the committee.”
The EFF immediately sided with O’Sullivan after he left the meeting.
But a legal opinion read to members of the committee yesterday indicated that it would be too difficult to take action against O’Sullivan because he had come to the committee of his own free will, without being subpoenaed.
Despite this, committee members said they want action to be taken against O’Sullivan.
ANC member, Ms. Khusela Sangoni, said that O’Sullivan’s willingness to appear before the committee on Thursday does not mean that he should not be taken action.
“He broke the law when he left without finishing answering the questions. He should be dealt with.”
Ms. Sangoni said they do not agree with the lawyer’s opinion.
“We feel that the lawyer is taking the interpretation of the law seriously when he says that we cannot take action against him because he was not sent a summons forcing him to appear before the committee.”
MKP member, Mr. Sibonelo Nomvalo, said that O’Sullivan should be taught a lesson.
“When you appear before the committee you are following the instructions of the chairman of the committee, you are not doing what you want. O’Sullivan should know that.”
A member of the EFF, Ms. Leigh-Ann Mathys, said that because there is a case they have filed, it would be better if the Parliament could bring an affidavit in support of the case they have filed.
The chairman of the committee, Mr. Soviet Lekganyane, said that he will inform the Speaker of Parliament, Mrs. Thoko Didiza, that the members of the committee want action to be taken against O’Sullivan.
“I will tell the speaker that the members of the committee are not happy and they want some steps to be taken. I will wait for the speaker’s response and then we will see what the next step is to take.”