Ex-Bosasa boss Angelo Agrizzi’s corruption trial postponed to December

Former Bosasa chief operating officer (COO), Angelo Agrizzi, is due back in court next month.

Agrizzi’s health

The corruption and fraud case against Agrizzi was postponed on Tuesday to 2 December.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Investigating Directorate (ID), the matter was postponed in order for Agrizzi to undergo a medical examination.

The case has experienced delays in the past few months due to Agrizzi’s ill-health.

Agrizzi had a heart attack in hospital on 21 October last year, a week after he was denied bail.

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This decision was later overturned and he was granted bail by the Johannesburg High Court.

Agrizzi and his co-accused, former ANC MP Vincent Smith, in the matter were charged last year with corruption over gratifications in the form of security upgrades made to Smith’s home in Gauteng by Bosasa.

The payments were allegedly initiated by Agrizzi, who has been charged for his role in making the payments to the former MP.

The accused pair have been charged with contravening section 7 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (Precca) Act.

Trial separation

Meanwhile, Smith’s trial was postponed to 2022 for a paginated docket.

“The final indictment provided to the accused now includes tax fraud, money laundering and breach of Financial Intelligence Centre Act [Fica] 38 0f 2001 charges,” ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said on Tuesday.

His trial will take place in the Johannesburg High Court on 21 January next year.

The matter comes after the ID filed an application under section 157(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act to have Smith’s trial separated from Agrizzi.

The Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court had granted the application to not infringe on Smith’s constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.

This was due to Agrizzi’s lawyer having submitted a medical report that the former Bosasa boss was unfit to stand trial.

READ MORE: Ex-ANC MP Vincent Smith denies alleged bribes took the heat off Bosasa

Smith faces additional charges of fraud for alleged payments made to his company, Euroblitz, in 2015 and 2016, which the state believes were bribes from Bosasa to silence his opposition to the company during parliamentary committee meetings.

The former MP served and chaired the parliamentary portfolio committee that had oversight of the Department of Correctional Services.

This occurred while Bosasa was under scrutiny for winning contracts worth more than R1 billion from the department, amid allegations that the contracts were corruptly awarded.

Smith has pleaded not guilty and maintains the money was a loan from Agrizzi.

However, Agrizzi denies Smith’s claims.

Bosasa corruption trial postponed due to concerns about Agrizzi’s health

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe