More arrests by Hawks
Zondo Commission unearths evidence to open charges on suspects
“We are just waiting for the NPA to authorise us to make more arrests Hangwani Mulaudzi HAWKS SPOKESMAN
FORMER ANC MP Vincent Smith, his company Euroblitz 48 and ex- Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi are expected to face over a dozen witnesses, when they stand trial for fraud and corruption.
The 19 witnesses range from police officers, bank officials, and former Bosasa employees, to at least one opposition politician.
Smith faces two counts of fraud and corruption for allegedly corruptly having a R200 000 full electric fence and full internet protocol- based system installed at his house in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, in 2014.
The National Prosecuting Authority ( NPA) accuses him of not paying for the services and goods installed by employees of African Global Operations, formerly known as Bosasa, on the instruction of Agrizzi or the company’s late chief executive Gavin Watson.
In 2015, Smith also received about R277 000 from a Bosasa employee, acting on Agrizzi’s instructions, into the bank account of his company Euroblitz 48.
He is accused of then channelling the funds to other accounts, in four tranches between R10 000 and about R220 000, to pay for his daughter’s accommodation and tuition.
The following year, according to the NPA, Agrizzi issued another instruction for another R395 000 to be transferred to Euroblitz 48, with the reference “car accident settlement”, which was sent in three amounts between R20 000 and R300 000.
Agrizzi has only been charged with corruption.
Prosecutors say the payments to Smith and Euroblitz 48 from Bosasa were gratifications, corruptly given and received, as improper inducements in furtherance of an ongoing scheme, to influence the former chairperson of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on correctional services.
” The gratifications created a situation in which accused 1 ( Smith) was indebted to Bosasa and/ or accused 3 ( Agrizzi), and/ or Watson, and thereby induced accused 1 ( Smith) to use his position in Parliament to act in the interests of Bosasa, and/ or accused 3 ( Agrizzi), and/ or Gavin Watson,” the NPA maintains.
Bosasa received four contracts worth more than R1 billion, between 2004 and 2006.
Smith had a legal duty to disclose the benefits he received from Bosasa, in terms of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests, as they amounted to an abuse of a position of authority.
The 60- year- old pensioner was granted R30 000 bail by the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crimes court yesterday, while Agrizzi was not present because he was indisposed but has undertaken to be present during the next appearance on October 14.
He was told by magistrate Piet Venter to surrender his passport by 6pm on Thursday and not to leave Gauteng without informing the case’s investigating officer.
In an affidavit he submitted in support of his bail application, Smith denied the allegations against him.
” I am determined to prove my innocence. The facts will demonstrate that I am not guilty on each charge levelled against me,” Smith insisted.
Meanwhile, Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi told Independent Media yesterday that they have been sitting on complete files since February this year.
“We were ready to arrest by the end of August, they ( commission) requested we hold on until the people have appeared before the commission but we later said no, we can’t wait, and then we arrested the suspects,” Mulaudzi said.
He added that more suspects accused of corruption, linked to Bosasa and other cases, would be arrested as the Hawks have concluded several investigations. This was a hint that those implicated by Agrizzi at the commission should wait for their turn to be dragged to court.
Among the people Agrizzi claimed benefited from the Bosasa cash handouts and free services were former minister Nomvula Mokonyane, and Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe.
“We are just waiting for the NPA to authorise us to make ( more) arrests … These arrests are not related to the Zondo Commission, they are a result of our own investigations,” he said.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said the latest string of high profile arrests, that have seen even senior ANC members like Smith and Edwin Sodi nabbed, was piling more pressure on the ANC to spring into action.
Sodi is the man whose company ( Blackhead Consulting) notched the R255 million asbestos tender in the Free State. He later dished out money to top ANC figures, like Deputy Minister for State Security Zizi Kodwa ( R171 000), Labour and Employment Minister Thulasi Nxesi ( R45 000), and some money to the ANC – which was received by former treasurer- general Dr Zweli Mkhize ( R6.5 million) and his successor Paul Mashatile ( R3.6 million for ANC T- shirts).
“The message of the ANC is clear – if you are attending a court case or implicated in corruption, you must step aside. So these arrests will put pressure on the ANC to act against these members. On the other hand, this is an opportunity for the ANC to clean its house and get rid of tainted members,” Khumalo said.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe ignored several requests to comment.
Kodwa defended himself, saying he only got to know Sodi years after the asbestos tender was issued. He said his name was being used to divert attention by Sodi and his associates.
“Their strategy is to avoid accountability and jail time at all costs. But this is inevitable. It doesn’t matter how long it will take, orange overalls are waiting for them,” Kodwa said.