File - Corruption accused Angelo Agrizzi when he appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court. Picture: Timothy Bernard/ African News Agency (ANA)
Johannesburg - According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, will today hear arguments in two applications against Bosasa’s former COO, Angelo Agrizzi.
Agrizzi, who cannot appear in court due to ill-health, stands accused of offering R800 000 worth of kickbacks on behalf of Bosasa to former ANC MP Vincent Smith in exchange for his influence as the then chairperson of parliament’s oversight committee on correctional services, one of the matters Agrizzi blew the whistle on.
Spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate, Sindisiwe Seboka, said that the applications are in terms of Section 67(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), which states that ‘’if an accused satisfies the court that his failure was not due to a fault on his part, the provisional cancellation of the bail and the provisional forfeiture of the bail money shall lapse.’’
While the second application is in terms of Section 342A of the CPA, which relates to unreasonable delay, ‘’ (1) A court before which criminal proceedings are pending shall investigate any delay in the completion of proceedings which appears to the court to be unreasonable and which could cause substantial prejudice to the prosecution, the accused or his or her legal adviser, the State, or a witness.’’
"Agrizzi is charged with fraud and corruption in relation to the R1.8 billion Bosasa and Department of Correctional Services 2004-2007 tenders. The determination of both applications will have a bearing on this individual over the R800K corruption matter," said Seboka.
The date has been set for March 7 to 9.
The Star