Former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi, testifies at the Zondo Commission inquiry into state capture on Thursday, January 17. PHOTO: Siphelele Dludla / African News Agency (ANA)
At the commission of inquiry into state capture on Monday, former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi testified that among other many “ridiculous requests” received which he was expected to look after, even in the middle of the night, was one from his CEO, Gavin Watson, asking him to go Christmas shopping for then Gauteng MEC for Safety and Security Nomvula Mokonyane.
Agrizzi said he was asked to provide the minister with 120 cases of cold drinks, 4 cases of premium whisky, and 40 cases of mixed beer, among other things.
According to him, this was one of many similar requests for other important people, which he was expected to “personally attend” to.
The former COO also claimed that Bosasa funded food parcels on Mokonyane’s request for ANC rallies, as well as doing maintenance work, including a security upgrade, at Mokonyane’s house in 2002.
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Reports over the weekend said Agrizzi would this week implicate high-ranking government officials, including Mokonyane, suspended National Prosecuting Authority officials Nomngcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi, former South African Airways chairperson Dudu Myeni, and former president Jacob Zuma as recipients of bribes that Watson paid to keep investigators and possible prosecution at bay.
City Press reported on Sunday that Mokonyane allegedly received R120,000 a year as a Christmas gift.
Her spokesperson, Mlimandlela Ndamase, was quoted as saying: “The minister denies such allegations and the accuracy of information provided. Bosasa has, to the minister’s knowledge, had no tenders in the course of Mokonyane’s tenure as Gauteng MEC for safety and as minister of water and sanitation. As such, the allegation of bribes in return for tenders is devoid of truth and places a credibility crisis on the proponents of such an allegation.”
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