Watson family is crying foul over Agrizzi

Jared Watson, the nephew of deceased Bosasa boss Gavin Watson, says the family is frustrated because the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has not yet granted implicated persons permission to cross-examine certain witnesses.

He said “a number of parties” implicated in Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi’s testimony have submitted statements to the commission as early as February this year.

Affidavits and applications to cross-examine Agrizzi were given to the commission, but “not one of those parties were given that opportunity”, he said. “The commission merely passed along their affidavits to Agrizzi.”

Agrizzi dropped bombshells at the commission earlier this year, implicating government officials and Watson family members in state capture.

Watson added that he would not be submitting any evidence to the commission because no action is taken.

“What would be the value in submitting an affidavit to the commission if the commission’s only intention is to forward that affidavit to Agrizzi and not allow you to appear at the commission, nor cross-examine Agrizzi?”

But Agrizzi’s lawyer, advocate Daniel Wits, said that no one from the family had submitted anything to the commission.

“Not a single family member has sent an affidavit. The commission has confirmed this because I asked them myself,” Wits said.

“The only one who I can imagine they are connected with is Kevin Wakeford (CEO of Armaments Corporation of South Africa). The reason I say that is because on Wednesday, he was granted right to cross-examine Mr Agrizzi.”

Wits said that according to Agrizzi “Jared Watson was sitting there in the background when Kevin was there.”

He added: “I’ve even received an e-mail from the commission last week saying they’ve received nothing – no documents, no affidavits, nothing.”

This week, Wakeford was granted permission to cross-examine Agrizzi.

Wakeford was among those who allegedly benefited from Bosasa, Agrizzi said in his testimony.

Wits said some government officials had also applied to cross-examine Agrizzi.

The commission’s acting secretary, KB Shabalala, said the commission was still looking into matters concerning the applications.

“There may be some applications for leave to cross-examine that were delivered to the commission early this year, which may not yet have been disposed of, but that will be because the commission is still investigating certain issues arising from or connected with either those applications, or with witnesses’ responses to those applications. – News24 Wire