Warrant of arrest issued for hospitalised Agrizzi as fraud and corruption case postponed

26th November 2020 By: News24Wire

Warrant of arrest issued for hospitalised Agrizzi as fraud and corruption case postponed

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi

A warrant of arrest, not to be enforced until the next scheduled court appearance, has been issued against Angelo Agrizzi, who failed to appear alongside his three co-accused in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on fraud and corruption charges on Thursday.

Sindisiwe Twala, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate, said Agrizzi's lawyer said his client was still in hospital.

Agrizzi had a heart attack in hospital on 21 October. When his condition worsened, he was transferred to a private facility.

The heart attack happened a week after the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court denied Agrizzi bail in a matter in which he faced charges of corruption for allegedly making payments to former African National Congress (ANC) MP Vincent Smith.

This decision was later overturned and he was granted bail in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

Thursday's appearance stem from a decade-old Special Investigating Unit report handed over to the NPA in 2009, which found an improper and corrupt relationship existed between Bosasa, former Correctional Service CFO Patrick Gillingham and former Commissioner of Correctional Services Linda Mti, News24 previously reported.

In exchange for cash, cars, homes, flights and holidays - among other gifts - Gillingham and Mti allegedly colluded with Bosasa executives to ensure the company was awarded four lucrative Department of Correctional Services tenders between 2004 and 2007 valued at over R1.8-billion.

The two, together with former Bosasa CFO Andries Van Tonder, appeared in the dock where the case was postponed to 18 February to allow the defence more time to study the docket.

All of the accused are out on bail.