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The state capture commission on Thursday was informed that due to increased security risk over his life, former Bosasa chief operational officer Angelo Agrizzi has received extra security.
This was revealed to the commission by its head of legal advocate Paul Pretorius as Agrizzi appeared before the state capture inquiry to continue his Bosasa-related testimony.
“Last night we received information from the commission’s investigators who told us that a senior police officer had reliably informed them that there was a serious threat on Mr Agrizzi’s life and security was immediately beefed up,” said Pretorius.
Agrizzi himself also informed the commission’s chairperson, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, that he had in his submissions before the commission included a note that was recently left on his windscreen.
Giving detail on this letter, Agrizzi said he had to get someone to translate it for him because it was written in isiZulu but it was a threat on his mother and family members’ lives and also an instruction to him not to speak on allegations of state capture.
Zondo attempted to translate the note, and said it read as “a threat to Agrizzi’s mother, wife and family and also instructs him to stop talking about matters relating to state capture and only continue to expose Bosasa”.
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Zondo also informed those in attendance that he was seriously “concerned by the incidents that had occurred since Agrizzi’s appearance before the commission”, referring to Agrizzi’s subsequent arrest by the Hawks.
According to the court papers Agrizzi, former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti, former correctional services chief financial officer Patrick Gillingham, Bosasa officials Andries van Tonder, and three companies: African Global Operations (formerly Bosasa), Sondolo IT and Phezulu Fencing were all accused of allegations of corruption, money laundering and fraud related to the facilities company Bosasa and its dealings with the department of correctional services.
They have been charged with corruption, money laundering and fraud to the tune of R1.6 billion.
Zondo, however, reiterated that he was assured that the arrests had nothing to do with the testimony given before the commission and was not an attempt at disrupting the state capture commission’s proceedings.
He added that the would not like to have a scenario were potential witnesses would end up being deterred to give testimony because of a fear of arrest.
The proceedings continued with Agrizzi filling in the gaps to the previous testimony that he had already given before the commission earlier in the year.
He remained undeterred and continued to spill the beans on facilities company Bosasa’s untoward dealings particularly during the time he was still part of the company.
Agrizzi told the commission that it was true that the correctional services did not receive value for money for all the contracts that it had with Bosasa.
“It is true that prisoners were working and making the food instead of Bosasa bringing its own stuff. It is, however, a difficult question to answer as in some instances there was value for money,” said Agrizzi.
He told the commission that there were other shady dealings between Bosasa and the department of home affairs, Prasa and Eskom adding that “there are people who have approached me subsequent to me having given my testimony before the commission informing me of these and other alleged bribes paid to these entities”.
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