Agrizzi drops Bosasa bombshell at inquiry
The Zondo Commission resumed public hearings for 2019 in spectacular fashion.
A surprise witness blew open an elaborate corruption ecosystem involving controversial facilities management company Bosasa and a number of highprofile individuals, including politicians, union leaders and government officials.
Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi delivered explosive testimony on Wednesday on how Bosasa spent between R4m to R6m a month in cash on bribes to grease the palms of those who facilitated their dodgy contracts. Bosasa’s windfall from government tenders is estimated at R1bn.
Most of the bribe money was paid in monthly tranches at the behest of Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson, who Agrizzi painted as a “charismatic” mafia boss who had a walk-in vault for his backhander stash and held daily morning prayer meetings with his staff.
“It’s like being in a cult and you become so engrossed,” Agrizzi told judge Raymond Zondo.
He said he became “blunt” to corruption while employed at the company and, therefore, did not report the illicit activities he was exposed to.
Watson referred to the bribe money, which Agrizzi said was packed in grey bank bags, as “Monopoly money”.
This is the first evidence at the state capture inquiry unrelated to the Gupta family, but supports the pattern of rot and the favouring of politically-connected companies in the awarding of contracts in government and state-owned entities.
Bosasa, which has now been rebranded African Global Group, is a well-known political donor with links to a number of ANC high fliers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was recently embarrassed by revelations that the company donated R500,000 to his ANC presidential campaign kitty. He has undertaken to pay back the money.
The company has previously been linked to corruption involving the department of correctional services and doing favours for ANC politicians in- cluding ministers Gwede Mantashe and Nomvula Mokonyane, deputy minister Thabang Makwetla and ANC MP Vincent Smith.
In his testimony, likely to last a few days, Agrizzi will apparently implicate about 38 people in instances of corruption, bribery and money laundering. This includes former South African Airways chair Dudu Myeni.
Evidence leader Paul Pretorius said Agrizzi details in his statement how Myeni shared confidential information about a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) investigation into Bosasa at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria.
He alleges that NPA officials were bribed to suppress prosecutions relating to Bosasa.
Agrizzi’s evidence is also selfincriminating. He said he decided to come clean as a result of a near-death experience.
On Wednesday he owned up to being present at meetings where cash was handed over to several people at the Airports Company South Africa and the South African Post Office for helping Bosasa score lucrative contracts.
He was responsible for keeping a tab of the bribe money.
Agrizzi’s evidence continues on Thursday.
It’s like being in a cult and you become so engrossed