Accusations that the police are misusing their powers to intimidate investigators with dirt on people in high places have been made following the arrest of lawyer Sarah Jane Trent, who was detained in a police raid on forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan’s Johannesburg home on Friday, notes Legalbrief.

Last night Trent’s legal team managed to secure her release after approaching the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria). Trent, who was heavily guarded and driven around for an hour by police, has been accused of impersonating an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) officer. Her arrest, notes a Daily Maverick report (see report below), came a week before Ipid is due to present evidence of alleged fraud in relation to acting Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane’s R8m home to Parliament’s Police Committee.

According to a Beeld report, Ipid head Robert McBride was present at last night's court hearing. It says Trent was released on bail of R5 000 following an arrangement on the steps of the court building. She will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

Full Beeld report (subscription needed)

In her affidavit, notes a News24 report, Trent claims she was driven around in the back of a police van for hours before being taken to Kameeldrift police station. She claimed that the van was guarded by heavily armed men. ‘The vehicle was parked at a petrol station in Marlboro, Johannesburg, guarded by at least seven heavily armed policeman carrying R5 semi-automatic rifles for more than an hour and then drove off to Pretoria.’ Trent said her cellphone was confiscated and she was not allowed to consult her legal representative. Trent was charged for allegedly acting as an Ipid official in its investigation into Phahlane.

In her High Court application, Trent denied the charges saying that this was a retaliation attempt by senior police officials for her involvement in the, ‘formulation of a complaint against Phahlane’. ‘This is an absurd claim since it speaks that as an employee of the complainant and an attorney, she would be giving assistance to the investigating officer of Ipid upon request,’ Trent's application states.

Prosecutor Molatlhwa Mashuga said conditions of her release stipulated that she could not contact, interfere or intimidate any witnesses in Ipid's investigation into Phahlane. On Friday, O'Sullivan reportedly told News24 that police raided his home in Johannesburg. He said the doorbell rang at his house in Sandton at 16:15. He said when he opened it, there was a female metro police officer who asked to be let in. O’Sullivan said the woman said she needed information on his vehicle, which was apparently involved in a hit and run two weeks ago. He said he told her he sold it about a year ago. O’Sullivan got into his car and drove away.

Full News24 report

The raid on O’Sullivan’s home was led by Klerksdorp based North West Hawks boss Major-General Ntebo ‘Jan’ Mabula, the man who arrested former KZN Hawks boss Major General Johan Booysen as well as prosecutor Gerrie Nel in 2008. Both arrests were later declared unlawful, notes Marianne Thamm in a Daily Maverick report. Thamm writes that it appears as if Mabula has been called in as a strongman by Phahlane. The DM notes pressure is on Phahlane, who is the subject of an Ipid investigation on charges of defeating the ends of justice and possible corruption. He mounted a fightback on Thursday, filing an application in the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) against Ipid, O’Sullivan, Trent and Magistrate JR Tsatsi in an attempt to prevent the forensic investigator from participating in the Ipid investigation. The application was made a few days after Phahlane had appeared in front of Parliament's Police Committee, flanked by Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, in relation to an independent forensic report on claims of mismanagement and fraud brought by police union Popcru against Phahlane in his former role as forensics divisional manager. The acting commissioner proclaimed his innocence and stated that he is a victim of a campaign aimed at undermining him. On Wednesday, McBride is set to present evidence to the Police Committee in relation to the directorate’s investigation into the charges against Phahlane.

Full Daily Maverick report

Hawks boss Mthandazo Ntlemeza has accused O’Sullivan of using people planted in government and the media to destabilise SA. In a Hawks statement, recorded by SABC News, Ntlemeza says O'Sullivan will stop at nothing to tarnish the integrity of the justice system. He claims that O'Sullivan's report (Join the Dots) is full of baseless accusations designed to compromise the country's stability. In the report, O'Sullivan presents events he believes show that the criminal justice system has been captured by those who want to block attempts to have President Jacob Zuma charged with corruption again. The Hawks statement notes: ‘His modus operandi of digging people’s dirt‚ dragging their names through the mud‚ accusing them of non-existent crimes and seeking public sympathy has been overdone and the national head of the DPCI challenges Paul O’Sullivan and his community of liars to put their money where their mouth is.’ It added: ‘If Paul O’Sullivan is as learned as he claims to be together with his cabal‚ they should know the simple procedure of laying criminal charges here in SA. Their media might assist in spreading the rumours but will definitely not criminally charge anyone.’ Meanwhile, civil rights organisation AfriForum has accused police of using what it terms bullying tactics to try to silence those who are trying to uncover the truth. Noting Trent's arrest and the raid on O'Sullivan's house, it says: ‘All of this is just an effort by the police authorities to intimidate and to harass people who are actually working towards the truth and working towards open and clean administrations. It's absolutely unacceptable how this arrest took place and the way in which Ms Trent disappeared with police for more than three hours,’ it says.

Full SABC News report