Angelo Agrizzi’s health back in spotlight as corruption case resumes

The corruption case of former Bosasa chief operating officer (COO), Angelo Agrizzi, on Thursday is set to resume at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

The court is expected to hear whether the state has acquired the services of an independent pulmonologist to examine Agrizzi’s medical condition.

This follows Agrizzi’s failure to appear in court for nine months, since October 2020, citing ill health. The state was granted a request to use its own doctor to examine Agrizzi during the last court appearance in November.

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The court also issued a warrant of arrest for Agrizzi, but it was stayed until the next appearance on 21 January 2022 in a separate case related to Bosasa’s R1.8 billion fraud and corruption trial.

Agrizzi is accused of paying bribes on behalf of Bosasa to former ANC parliamentarian Vincent Smith in exchange for his influence, as he was the then-chairperson of Parliament’s oversight committee on Correctional Services.

Bosasa scored contracts totalling just over R1 billion from Correctional Services between 2004 and 2007.

Smith faces charges of tax fraud, money laundering, corruption and alleged breach of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act for alleged payments made to his company Euroblitz in 2015 and 2016.

The state was previously granted its application for a separation of trial because of Agrizzi’s ill health. 

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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