Bosasa paid journalists to ‘give information’ and ‘work with them’ – Agrizzi

Former Bosasa chief operating officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi told the commission of inquiry into state capture on Thursday that the company paid journalists presumably to write good stories about Bosasa.

Agrizzi says Papa Leshabane was getting R71 000 monthly to pay Zack Modise and Journalists. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 24, 2019

Agrizzi, however, did not name any journalists nor did he name the media houses or publications they worked for at the time.

Agrizzi said journalists were paid to write positive stories. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 24, 2019

Agrizzi was giving testimony on Thursday detailing a clandestine coding system he, company CEO Gavin Watson, and Jacques van Zyl used around 2007 for packing bribery money which would be handed to officials from the department of correctional services whom Bosasa officials had listed.

Day 7 of Agrizzi's testimony. He is now going through some of the Coding they used in Bosasa to label money bags. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 24, 2019

The department awarded tenders to Bosasa, which included providing nutritional services to the department, with the company’s subsidiaries, Phezulu and Sondolo IT, were given the tenders for erecting fences and installing dysfunctional surveillance equipment in prisons across the country, all of which amounted to billions of rands.

Agrizzi told the commission earlier in the week that the fencing contract at the department was initially an estimated at R500 million, an amount which ballooned over time.

Sondolo IT was awarded the contract to install TV net systems in prisons across the country which was worth over R224 million.

Agrizzi told the commission on Wednesday that he compiled the lists and Watson would approve whether those listed should be bribed by the company.

Agrizzi says after compiling the lists, he would hand it/email them to Jacques an Zyl. Van Zyl would prepare it, Agrizzi would then take that and call the relevant director.#StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 24, 2019

The witness said Watson decided which officials would be paid while Van Zyl packed the money and he, Agrizzi, did the “verification” and talks with officials from the department.

One list that Agrizzi went through during his testimony included the department’s contracts manager, Josiah Maako, who was paid R15,000 monthly; Maria Mabena, who was responsible for catering and development and received R10,000; commissioner Shishi Matabela who was given R10,000; commissioner Mkhabela, who’s first name Agrizzi said he could not recall and who was paid R10,000; the head of procurement Dikeledi Tshabalala who was paid R15,000; Zack Modise who, Agrizzi said, was at the time responsible for a region, and who received R20,00o before he was promoted to being national commissioner when the  “amount increased significantly”; and Mollot Ngubo, who was responsible for finance and received R15,000.

Agrizzi said these officials were identified as influential officials within the department when Linda Mti resigned as commissioner in 2006.

The witness’s testimony continues:

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