Angelo Agrizzi’s cross-examination at Zondo commission postponed

The chairperson of the commission of inquiry into state capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, on Wednesday postponed the cross-examination of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi and the company’s former head of central business, Frans Vorster.

Agrizzi and Vorster were expected to be cross-examined by Armaments Corporation of South Africa CEO Kevin Wakeford.

Agrizzi and Vorster had filed an application to postpone the cross-examination.

The head of the commission’s legal team, advocate Paul Pretorius, said the dispute between Agrizzi and Vorster on the one hand and Wakeford on the other related to factual matters recorded in Bosasa documentation, which is currently under the control of one or other curators who are disputing who the legal curator of those documents is.

The latter matter will be dealt with in the Supreme Court of Appeal in November, Pretorius said.

Zondo postponed the cross-examination on Wednesday in the interest of fairness in light of circumstances that prevailed.

Zondo, however, did not fix a date as to when Agrizzi and Vorster will be cross-examined.

The chair said that all that needed to be resolved ahead of the cross-examination should be done as soon as possible.

Zondo said he did not doubt that the investigation that had to be carried out to facilitate the cross-examination of Agrizzi and Vorster would be done as soon as possible.

Zondo also said that when he granted Wakeford leave to cross-examine Agrizzi and Vorster, it was on the understanding that all parties concerned would be available for proceedings on Wednesday.

“If I had understood differently, I would have arranged for another time,” Zondo said.

Wakeford’s legal representative expressed Wakeford’s dissatisfaction with Agrizzi and Vorster’s commitment to the proceedings of the commission.

He further alleged that the affidavit filed by the two on Wednesday was “wilfully misleading of the chair and this commission”.

Following Agrizzi’s testimony implicating Wakeford, the latter has had to forego a number of work opportunities since his employment tenure came to an end in April, Wakeford’s legal representative said.

Pretorius said it was incorrect that Agrizzi had implicated certain parties without compliance with the rules of the commission.

Wakeford was among many people who benefited from Bosasa, according to Agrizzi’s testimony in January.

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