Posts for January 2019

15 January 2019

Angelo Agrizzi, the former chief operations officer of controversial facilities management company Bosasa, is the first person to testify before the state capture commission this year. On Wednesday he revealed that the company spent between R4-million and R6-million monthly for bribes to senior government officials on the company’s payroll.

Bosasa spent millions on govt bribes

17 January 2019

On day two of testimony from former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi, attendees watched video evidence that showed CEO Gavin Watson and two of his directors packing and arranging stacks of money while inside a vault at the company offices.

Govt officials kept loyal to Bosasa with bribes

18 January 2019

Bosasa – which enjoys a large number of government contracts – generated cash that would be used to bribe public officials in return for their loyalty and favours., said the company’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi on his third day of testimony.

Money laundering the Bosasa way

18 January 2019

Commission secretary Khotso De Wee is on special leave while an investigation into allegations of corruption against him ensues. De Wee was implicated in the statement of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi, who said that De Wee was one of the senior officials of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development who received bribes from Bosasa.

Zondo Commission secretary implicated in Bosasa bribery

21 January 2019

Bosasa, now African Global Operations, was at the beck and call of former environmental affairs minister Nomvula Mokonyane for the most part, said Agrizzi, even paying for rented cars for as long as three months at a time for her daughter, during her visits from her studies in China.

Bosasa at Nomvula Mokonyane’s beck and call

22 January 2019

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi says not only is the Department of Correctional Services captured, but the members of Parliament charged with overseeing its affairs have long been in the pocket of Bosasa, one of its biggest contractors.

Bosasa captured the correctional services department

22 January 2019

Linda Mti, former national commissioner for the Department of Correctional Services, continued to benefit financially for his part for years, despite his resignation from government in late 2006. Mti was but one recipient of largesse from Bosasa, which manages the catering and security services contracts at correctional services across the country.

Prisons catering deal was a cash cow for Bosasa and friends

22 January 2019

The chairperson of the commission on inquiry into state capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, on Tuesday announced the appointment of Peter Pedlar as acting secretary of the commission. Pedlar replaces Dr Khotso De Wee, who is currently on special leave pending an investigation into his implication in corruption by a witness.

Peter Pedlar announced as acting secretary

23 January 2019

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi told the commission of inquiry how he and other directors had to destroy evidence when they first discovered that the Special Investigating Unit was coming after the company.

Bosasa’s cat and mouse game with SIU investigators

23 January 2019

The Special Investigating Unit recommended as far back as 2009 that the Department of Correctional Services take action against its former national commissioner and CFO, Linda Mti and Patrick Gillingham respectively, for their irregular dealings with Bosasa. To date, this has not happened.

SIU recommended action against Bosasa, DCS crooks in 2009

24 January 2019

With key National Prosecuting Authority people in its pocket, Bosasa could keep tabs on the progress of the case against the company, and therefore influence its direction.

SIU’s Bosasa investigation compromised by NPA bribees

24 January 2019

Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson allegedly boasted about playing puppeteer with former president Jacob Zuma to his colleague Angelo Agrizzi and former commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services Linda Mti.

Bosasa executives privy to sensitive details of NPA case against them

24 January 2019

Former South African Airways chairperson Dudu Myeni was on Bosasa’s payroll, receiving R300 000 per month. She was the conduit between Bosasa and former president Jacob Zuma.

Myeni, Zuma helped smooth the way for Bosasa.

29 January 2019

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi, still in the witness chair, outlined numerous plans by CEO Gavin Watson and his brothers to buy Agrizzi’s silence over the corrupt activities he had seen and taken part in, in his almost 20 years with Bosasa.

Agrizzi asked to take the fall for Watson et al

29 January 2019

An audio recording played on Tuesday morning revealed witness Angelo Agrizzi making racist, derogatory remarks in the company of other people.

“I am a racist,” says Agrizzi

30 January 2019

From a fake prawn farm and duping the South African Revenue Service (Sars) through falsified financials, to violating immigration laws, former Bosasa CFO Andries van Tonder participated in many compromising dealings in his two-decade career at the company.

Van Tonder corroborates Agrizzi’s testimony regarding Bosasa shenanigans

31 January 2019

Cabinet ministers Gwede Mantashe and Nomvula Mokonyane, and deputy minister of correctional services Thabang Makwetla, were named among those who benefited from home security and general maintenance work paid for by the company over some years.

Mantashe, Mokonyane got free home improvements and maintenance from Bosasa

31 January 2019

Former Bosasa IT head Leon van Tonder testified of his participation in the illegal deletion of files relating to the multi-million-rand catering contract with the Department of Correctional Services, a contract that was in the spotlight of the Special Investigating Unit.

Former IT head told to delete incriminating data from Bosasa servers