Ailing Agrizzi admitted to hospital after failed bail bid

FORMER Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi has been admitted to hospital a day after he was denied bail by the court.

Department of Correctional Services confirmed yesterday that this was because the Joburg prison does not have the medical care which Agrizzi requires.

Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Agrizzi’s condition was stable.

“The Department of Correctional Services can confirm that remand detainee Angelo Agrizzi has been transferred to an external public hospital to receive further medical care. His condition will continue to be monitored,” said Nxumalo.

Agrizzi has launched another bail application in the South Gauteng High Court.

He was denied bail in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge on Wednesday, where he was appearing with Vincent Smith, former ANC MP and former chairperson of the portfolio committee on correctional services, who had ben charged with corruption.

In that indictment, the State alleged that Agrizzi and former Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson paid gratifications of more than R800 000 to Smith while serving as chairperson of the portfolio committee on correctional services. The gratification payments allegedly included security upgrades at Smith’s Roodepoort house and more than R395 000 for a “car accident settlement”.

Smith made his first court appearance on October 1 and was granted bail of R30 000.

On Wednesday, Agrizzi was not so lucky, when he made his first appearance following his release from hospital. He is suffering from an undisclosed illness, but arrived in court carrying an oxygen pump unit in his hand.

He was denied bail after the prosecution led evidence that he did not disclose that he had funds in offshore accounts. The court also found that he did not disclose that he was in possession of an Italian passport when he initially appeared in the Pretoria Special Commercial Crimes Court on February 6 last year.

In that matter, Agrizzi is facing multiple counts of fraud and corruption amounting to R1.9 billion, with four others including former commissioner of correctional services Linda Mti.

All are accused of having allowed Bosasa to illegally acquire tenders at the Department of Correctional Services between 2004 and 2006.

Agrizzi was granted bail of R20 000 after he told the court that he was the legal owner of a Helderfontein Estate property worth R13.5m and had movable assets worth R2.65m.

He was denied bail on Wednesday after the court found that he has since December 2018 been shipping millions of rand out of the country, including purchasing a luxurious house and vehicle in Italy.

According to the court records, Agrizzi moved millions of rand between December 2018 and January 3 last year to various offshore accounts and to people living overseas.

The court heard that he made the last transfer payment of R30m to an offshore account belonging to his wife, Debbie, on March 20 this year.

The court also found that he did not disclose that he was in possession of an Italian passport to the police during his bail application last year.