Sars probes ex-prisons official over Bosasa ‘bribes’ of R1.2m

A former correctional services department regional commissioner in the Eastern Cape is under investigation by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for allegedly receiving bribes totalling about R1.2m from African Global Operations, formerly Bosasa.

Nontsikelelo Jolingana was based in East London when African Global Operations subsidiary companies received tenders worth millions of rands from the department for installing fencing, CCTV cameras and control rooms.

More than R1bn was paid to African Global Operations subsidiary Phezulu Fencing for a number of prison projects in East London, Mdantsane and Port Elizabeth (St Albans).

The Sars document, signed on March 18, reveals that Jolingana received R100,000 a month from African Global Operations for more than 12 months.

It did not specify when exactly this allegedly occurred.

Sars obtained the information from an affidavit deposed by former African Global Operations executive Angelo Agrizzi, who has made hardhitting allegations against the company at the state capture inquiry.

“According to an affidavit deposed by Mr Angelo Agrizzi, Global Operations incurred the following expenses which were not in the production of income but were claimed as operating expenses,” the Sars document, signed by its investigation manager Nareen Belebesi, said.

“After consideration of all the information and facts at my disposal, the report is to be referred to the relevant investigative unit to institute both civil and criminal proceedings,” Belebesi said.

The Sars investigation report focused on:

● Illicit financial flows;

● Intentional under-declaration and tax evasion;

● Income tax;

● Value-added tax; and

● Pay-as-you-earn (PAYE). Eighty-three other taxpayers, including government ministers, politically connected individuals and senior government employees, are on the same list.

Jolingana, now a senior exwork ecutive at the Road Traffic Management Corporation, was contacted more than a week ago for comment and promised to call back later, but failed to do so.

Further attempts to contact her proved fruitless.

When Jolingana left the Eastern Cape, she went to for the national department of correctional services as chief operations officer.

Sars declined to respond to questions sent to it, saying that it could not divulge information on the affairs of taxpayers.

A 2016 investigation by the Daily Dispatch revealed the department awarded a R723m tender to the Bosasa group of companies to erect fences and instal surveillance equipment in prisons across SA. Other tenders included:

● A R236m tender was awarded to Bosasa for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning and maintenance of CCTV cameras, access control and body scanning at 66 correctional centres;

● In November 2006, a R486m tender was awarded to Bosasa for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning and maintenance of outer perimeter fences and CCTV cameras at a number of correctional centres.

Major prisons in the Eastern Cape, including in East London, Port Elizabeth, Mthatha, Queenstown and Mdantsane, were included in the list of facilities for the tender call.

But the investigation revealed at the time that none of the security measures in the Eastern Cape were working.

Fences had gaping holes, gates at maximum security centres were secured with just a padlock, and CCTV cameras and control room monitors were not functioning.

A visit to the East London prison and Mdantsane on Friday revealed that none of the security features were working.

An official at the East London Correctional Centre said nothing had changed at the prisons.

Correctional services provincial spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said the fencing projects for the province were in the planning phases.

“The St Albans fencing is in the planning phase for completion of the project and the East London and Mdantsane fencing is in the initial planning stage,” she said.

‘The report is to be referred to the relevant investigative unit to institute both civil and criminal proceedings’

Nareen Belebesi

SARS INVESTIGATION MANAGER