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We are back with the next summary unpacking the third instalment of the Zondo Commission report, released last week, again with a focus on Bosasa and its irregular contracts and influence on government departments and individuals.

Coming under the spotlight in today’s update are the former national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Linda Mti and former CFO Patrick Gillingham, both of whom will have to face investigations under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca), as well as potential prosecution for their role in the corrupt contracts awarded irregularly to Bosasa from 2004.

This is the recommendation of the Zondo Commission after assessment of the evidence against the pair, which both failed to defend when they refused to testify, citing fear of incriminating themselves.   The commission issued Mti and Gillingham with subpoenas following the explosive evidence of Bosasa’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi in January 2019, but both responded through their legal representatives that they had suffered undue prejudice from the commission’s investigators, and wished to invoke the privilege of not giving evidence in order to not incriminate themselves in the criminal trial that followed shortly after Agrizzi’s testimony.

Included in the testimony of Agrizzi were details of Gillingham’s assistance to Bosasa by alerting the company to tenders that the DCS intended to advertise and later drawing up specifications for these tenders, thus providing an advantage over competing bidders. In return for this, Bosasa advanced numerous favours towards him and his family, including property, cars, and holidays, in addition to regular cash payments.

Mti’s role, the commission found, was to oversee the corrupt practice, and to organise protection against detection and even prosecution from the National Prosecuting Authority.

See the attached for more details about this relationship between Bosasa and individuals within the DCS.

Issued by Corruption Watch