Agrizzi uses video footage to show how Bosasa allegedly paid bribes

Former chief operating officer of controversial facilities management company Bosasa Angelo Agrizzi on Thursday took the commission through video footage showing how money was allegedly taken from the company’s secretary vault to chief executive Gavin Watson’s office.

On Wednesday, Agrizzi told the commission the company spent between R4 million and R6 million monthly on bribing various persons in positions of authority in certain entities who were “useful and supportive of the organisation”.

He said these were the amounts that were paid when he left the company, though he could not remember what the amounts were when he started.

Agrizzi alleged Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson used his political ties and paid millions to union bosses and government officials to win lucrative contracts at state-owned firms and at mining companies. Agrizzi said he was Waston’s “right-hand man” from 1999 to 2016 when he worked for Bosasa, previously Dyambu Holdings, and that his boss trusted him with sensitive information.

Agrizzi implicated companies such as GoldFields, Sasol, Airports Company of South Africa, the Post Office, as well as the department of correctional services as having received bribes, saying Watson spent anything between R4 million and R6 million a month in plastic bags of money.

The former COO showed video footage of how bribe money was taken from the vault in the secretary’s office to Watson’s office, which would then be counted, allegedly by Watson, and packed in the bags for delivery.

.

Though the footage did not show Andries van Tonder taking the money from the secretary’s office, Agrizzi alleged the man was indeed Van Tonder as he had asked him to take the video and the money to Watson’s office.

The phone that was used to take the footage was allegedly in Van Tonder’s left pocket.

The vaults in Bosasa offices had notices written on them that contained legal consent to stop other people from accessing them as they had confidential documents and the money allegedly used for bribes. The documents in the secretary’s offices were allegedly NPA and SIU documents which were allegedly obtained illegally.

The footage further showed Van Tonder allegedly walking towards Watson’s office with the box full of money, dropped it there, allegedly for Watson to count and pack in the bags for bribes. The money was always in R100 and R200 notes, he claimed.

Watson allegedly counting money for bribes

.

When asked if the money could have been packed for other purposes other than bribes, Agrizzi said he was certain the money was for bribes as he had been working there for 19 years and knew the system well.

“My hands are bruised from dropping the money in the drop safe, sir,” Agrizzi said.

In Watson’s office, footage allegedly showed Joseph Gumede (chairperson of Bosasa at the time), Andries van Tonder, Gavin Watson, and Leshabane Papa (spokesperson of Bosasa at the time), who Agrizzi alleged knew what was going on and were a part of it.

Joseph Gumede

Gavin Watson

Leshabane is seen carrying two bags, which Agrizzi alleged were full of money that was being delivered.

Papa Leshabane

Agrizzi further spoke of grey bags which he alleged were used to “silence” personnel within the company. They were allegedly given between R10,000 to R20,000 cash.

Lawyers for the state capture commission said they had alerted those implicated in Agrizzi’s testimony to give them an opportunity to respond.

The hearings continue.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.