An inquiry into corruption-accused former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi's continued absence from his court proceedings came to a halt on Tuesday after the State argued the matter could not continue in his absence.

Agrizzi failed to appear in court several times due to his ailing health.

News24 previously reported that Agrizzi had suffered a heart attack while in prison and that he had to be put on life support.

He spent an evening in prison before he was rushed to a public hospital. From there, he was transferred to a private hospital because his condition worsened.

In the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, State advocate Arno Rossouw argued that in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, the court could not continue without the accused.

"The fact of the matter is the accused must be present during criminal proceedings. We can't proceed with criminal proceedings without his presence," he said.  

However, Agrizzi's advocate, Mannie Witz, told the court that doctors who had assessed his client made it clear that he could not attend court physically.  

Rossouw, however, insisted that Agrizzi could appear virtually.

After adjourning for a few minutes, Judge David Makhoba ruled that Agrizzi should appear virtually. 

Makhoba attached conditions to his rulings and asked his legal representative if it was possible for him to do so on Wednesday, how long he would be able to attend and if it was possible for him to attend until 16:00.

In response, Witz said: "He will make himself available. We will make sure he is available virtually."

If the matter does go ahead on Wednesday, it is unclear whether Agrizzi will be able to attend for the full court day.

Witz said the matter could continue until 16:00 on Wednesday but couldn't say whether it was possible for Agrizzi to be present the whole day. 

Agrizzi is charged with fraud and corruption relating to tenders between Bosasa and the Department of Correctional Services. 

The criminal matter involves four tenders valued at more than R1.8-billion, which were awarded to Bosasa and its subsidiaries between August 2004 and 2007.

News24 previously reported that the tenders were for catering and training services, the installation of CCTV cameras, the installation of perimeter fencing, the supply of a television system, and equipment monitoring.

It is alleged that these tenders were obtained through corruption.

In October 2020, Agrizzi was denied bail in a separate matter in which he is accused of paying bribes to former ANC MP Vincent Smith.