Expert unearths 'red flags' in election petition cases
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday December 6, 2019 15:10
UDC has roped in top South African forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, who has since released a report detailing his findings on the investigations he conducted relating to the 2019 elections that the Umbrella strongly holds that they were rigged.
He said after the results were announced, he sat down with Boko and looked at how the ruling party could have possibly pulled an electoral fraud feat and then commenced his investigations.
He said they managed to get hold of some whistleblowers who told them they decided to come out in the open because what they did in collusion with the BDP was wrong. They interviewed several parties and took some evidence. “I am quite satisfied that we have the red flags, the very, very, clear red flags,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan was quoted during a media briefing he addressed in South Africa alongside UDC president, Duma Boko that his investigations have revealed that the elections were bought to the tune of P15 million.
He said in some instances, they found that those who had been tasked to do fake voting cards had to engage their children at home because they were overwhelmed by the workload. About of the persons who took part in this alleged electoral fraud he said: “He made 10, 000 of them.
In fact, the process to make them was so great that he had to make his children feel in the details from his house in the evenings because he couldn’t keep up with the workload of producing all these voter registration cards.
Then we found the figure of the amount of money needed to buy votes and pay for all the organisation that had to be done for the vote rigging. The fee were given and its affidavit is P15 million and this money were drawn from the intelligence slush funds of the Director of the Intelligence and Security Services”.
He alleged that secret service agents were used to deliver the money around the country in bags while some of the money was channelled through front companies, which were set up and owned by the BDP Secretary General, Mpho Balopi.
He said donations were made to churches around the country targeting congregants, while in some instances soccer teams were sponsored to take part in tournaments, but had to produce cards in order to participate.
Background
O’ Sullivan is a well-known private investigator who has played a crucial role in high profile cases. For instance, he ensured corrupt former South African police chief Jackie Selebi was put behind bars and exposed corruption at the state-owned parastatal Eskom.
“The Irish-born founder of Forensics for Justice strides boldly into areas where most fear to tread. His notches range from murderers, gangsters and fraudsters through to a couple of former chiefs of SA Police Services,” the Biznews wrote