What we asked him in 2018
In September 2018, former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi announced that he would be spilling the beans on corruption at Bosasa.
At the time, Herald news editor Angela Daniels asked former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti, who had been implicated, if he knew Agrizzi and Bosasa boss Gavin Watson.
This is how the call went: Mti: Hello.
AD: Hi, is that Mr Mti? Mti: Yes, ma’am.
AD: Hi Mr Mti, it’s Angela Daniels here phoning from The Herald newspaper, how are you?
Mti: Come again, ma’am? AD: It’s Angela phoning from The Herald newspaper. Mti: From the?
AD: Herald newspaper. Mti: Yes, ma’am.
AD: Yes, I was hoping I might be able to chat to you. I was seeing these reports from the weekend. I’m not sure if you have seen them, about Angelo Agrizzi, Gavin Watson and Bosasa?
Mti: Yes, ma’am.
AD: You’ve seen them? Mti: No, I have not seen them, ma’am.
AD: Okay, it’s basically what Mr Agrizzi is saying. He said about two weeks ago that he was going to spill all the beans on corruption between Bosasa and government officials. Mti: Yes, ma’am.
AD: And ... you were mentioned when the SIU [Special Investigating Unit] investigation came out about Bosasa and correctional services. So I was ...
Mti: I don’t know about that because I was never contacted by SIU about it.
AD: You were never contacted?
Mti: No ...
AD: And to your knowledge there was nothing untoward about ...
Mti: About what, ma’am? AD: With regards to tenders that were given to Bosasa?
Mti: No, ma’am, I was saying I have not. I was never contacted about this SIU report so I am still not going to comment on something I was never contacted about. I wasn’t asked to comment about it. [inaudible]
AD: I can understand that. I also wanted to know, I am surprised you have not seen the reports. But you know it was quite a long time ago that the SIU [report] came out ... Why do you think Agrizzi [wants to
tell all?]
Mti: I am saying to you I was never contacted by the SIU. [inaudible]
AD: I get that ... But I am saying there were reports on it in 2009 – why do you think Mr Agrizzi would like to open up that whole . . .
Mti: Ma’am, I am saying I don’t know anything about the SIU report in the first instance because I was never asked anything by the SIU so I can’t comment on Agrizzi’s comment on something that [inaudible]. AD: Do you know Agrizzi? A long pause.
Mti: I don’t understand your question when you are asking about reports?
AD: No, I am asking you, do you know Mr Agrizzi?
Mti: I don’t know him. AD: You have never met him?
Mti: No, ma’am, I am saying I don’t want to comment about something that I have never been asked by the people who prepared the report.
AD: Okay, all right.
Mti: I am not going to comment – I am not going to comment to you about something that I have never been asked about .
AD: Fair enough.
Mti: By anybody ... I don’t even know.
AD: Okay. But if I can just ask you ... have you ever met Mr Agrizzi?
Mti. No, no, ma’am. That’s not the issue. You are asking me about a report by Agrizzi. I am saying I never ...
AD: But now I am not asking you about the report anymore. Now I am asking you if you ever met Mr Agrizzi. Mti: No ma’am, I don’t. AD: No? And Mr Watson? Have you met Mr Watson?
Mti: You are asking something about me that I have never ...
AD: No, no, I am not asking you about a report. Put that aside, forget that I asked that. Have you ever met Mr Watson, ever in your life?
Mti: Which Mr Watson? AD: Mr Gavin Watson. Mti: Have I ever what, ma’am?
AD: Mr Gavin Watson, he is the owner of Bosasa. Have you met him before?
Mti: Ma’am please, I don’t understand your question that you want to raise.
AD: Okay.
Mti: I grew up in Port Elizabeth. I played rugby with the Watson brothers here in Port Elizabeth. [Inaudible]
AD: So you grew up in PE and you ...
Mti: Do you know that I am from Port Elizabeth?
AD: I do know that, yes. Mti: You don’t know that. AD: No, I do know that. Yes, of course.
Mti: Oh, okay, how would I then not have known the Watson brothers who were playing rugby?
AD: Okay, all right that’s fine but other than your knowing them through rugby, you’ve got no connection to Gavin Watson other than the rugby.
Mti: I’m saying I know the Watson brothers ... and I have known them long before there was any other thing that a person could even talk about them.
AD: But there was no ...
corruption?
Mti: Ma’am, ma’am. No. Ma’am, ma’am, I am saying you have not written a report about me. The SIU has written a report about me – they have never asked me so I am not going to ask about that.
AD: All right fine.
Mti : I request that.
AD: All right, thank you. Mti: All right thanks.
AD: Thanks, bye.