Prominent forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has filed a R10 million counter-defamation lawsuit against KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, in the High Court in Johannesburg.
This follows Mkhwanazi’s initial R5 million defamation claim lodged against O’Sullivan last month — escalating tensions between the veteran investigator and one of South Africa’s top police officials.
In his responding papers, O’Sullivan accuses Mkhwanazi of making false and damaging statements that questioned his integrity and professional reputation. He claims the police commissioner publicly accused him of committing unspecified crimes and acting as “an agent working for someone else.”
O’Sullivan strongly denies these allegations, describing them as “baseless, malicious, and designed to tarnish” his long-standing career in criminal investigations. He argues that Mkhwanazi’s remarks were not only defamatory but also reckless and harmful to his credibility within South Africa’s law enforcement and justice sectors.
“The allegations are entirely without merit and intended to divert attention from legitimate concerns I have raised about misconduct and corruption within policing structures,” O’Sullivan said in a statement shared with the media.
He is now seeking R10 million in damages and has asked the court to dismiss Mkhwanazi’s defamation suit with costs, labelling it an attempt to intimidate and silence him.
O’Sullivan, who has been involved in several high-profile investigations into corruption and organised crime, has often clashed with senior law enforcement figures over the years. His counter-suit signals that the feud between the two men could be headed for a prolonged and highly public legal battle.
Neither Mkhwanazi nor the South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued an official response to the latest filing. However, legal experts note that the case underscores growing tensions between independent investigators and state law enforcement agencies — a reflection of the broader struggle over accountability and integrity in South Africa’s policing environment.
The High Court is expected to set a date for the first hearing in the coming weeks.