Agrizzi, co-accused back in court for Bosasa corruption case

Former Bosasa boss turned whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi and his co-accused appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, where their case was postponed.

The matter was postponed to 16 October for a trial date, spokesperson for the investigating directorate Sindisiwe Twala said.

Agrizzi, and his co-accused, former correctional services CFO Patrick Gillingham, former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti, and former Bosasa executive Andries van Tonder face multiple charges relating to money laundering, corruption, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

They are all out on bail.

The charges stem from a decade-old Special Investigating Unit report handed over to the NPA in 2009, which found an improper and corrupt relationship existed between Bosasa, Gillingham and Mti, as News24 previously reported.

And in exchange for cash, cars, homes, flights and holidays – among other gifts – Gillingham and Mti allegedly colluded with Bosasa executives to ensure the company was awarded four lucrative Department of Correctional Services tenders between 2004 ad 2007 valued at over R1.8 billion.

In the statement issued on Wednesday, Twala said the contracts were for the rendering of catering and training services, installation of CCTV cameras, installing of perimeter fencing, supply of television systems and monitoring equipment.

“The Investigating Directorate prosecutors and the legal team of the accused agreed to meet for a pre-trail conference and interlocutory issues before that date,” she said.

Advocate Hermione Cronje, the head of the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigative Directorate, said the prosecution dealt with the early days of corruption perpetrated by Bosasa.

“The company and its subsidiaries and affiliates went on to secure in excess of R34 billion in government contracts from a range of government departments at all levels of government even after the corruption in these four initial tenders was laid bare in 2010,” she said.

“The directorate’s investigations into those who enabled the corruption to continue after the initial SIU report, is the subject of ongoing investigations by the directorate”.

Cronje said more arrests would follow as investigations draw to a close.

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