24 January 2019
Former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi (in the picture above) told the state capture commission on Friday that the department of social development paid Bosasa $247,000 for software that did not cost Bosasa anything. The company paid $120,000 towards the ANC’s election expense in the North West five years ago.
ANC members who were implicated were acting in their individual capacity and not on behalf of the organisation said Zizi Kodwa, a member of the party’s national executive committee. Bloomberg reported.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday that it had taken note of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi’s testimony in which he alleged that bribes were paid to the union’s former Kloof Gold Mine branch chairperson, the late Jackson Mafika, to win catering tenders. Financial Times reported.
Over three days in December 2008, just days before the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was scheduled to gather evidence, Bosasa allegedly ‘wiped out’ more than 40,000 electronic files. When a SIU forensic expert examined the Bosasa servers using keyword searches, he detected the alleged mass deletion of files, particularly those relating to the company’s Correctional Services contracts.
Agrizzi has now become a whistle-blower at the State Capture inquiry. Although SIU concluded its report in 2009 and to date, none of its recommendations have been implemented. The SIU report confirmed the deletion of batches of files. Daily Maveric reported.
South African Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane received monthly bribes and gifts from Bosasa in return for her support for the services of the company. Ethixbase reported.
President Cyril Ramaphosa last week told Parliament that the $36,000 payment made to his son Andile Ramaphosa was above aboard. The president explained that his son has a financial consultancy that does work for several companies, including Bosasa. The District Attorney, Graham Charters, said the money was not paid directly from Bosasa to Mr Andile Ramaphosa nor to one of his companies. It was made to a secretly labelled trust account.
Angelo Agrizzi alleged that leading prosecutors Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi received bribes to help quash a criminal investigation into the company, now known as African Global Operations. The pair is currently facing a separate inquiry into their fitness to hold office. Agrizzi said that Jiba received $7,200 a month, while Mrwebi received $720. Eye witness news reported.
Four tenders worth approximately $100 million with the correctional services department, awarded to Bosasa between 2004 and 2005. The company paid bribes to former prisons boss Linda Mti and the department’s former chief financial officer, Patrick Gillingham to get these tenders. Both were getting monthly cash payments for their efforts, even after they left the department. News24 reported.
