Agrizzi prepared to apologise for suggesting Bosasa paid DCS official bribes
3 September 2019
Former Bosasa operations chief turned whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi is prepared to return to the state capture commission of inquiry to apologise for suggesting that Department of Correctional Services official Jabu Sishuba received bribes from the company.
"I am satisfied that Ms Sishuba was justified in bringing an application for leave to cross-examine Mr Agrizzi," commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said on Tuesday morning.
"I am not sure about the relief of compelling him to come back to the commission, but it is not necessary to decide that issue.
"The fact of the matter is that the plans of the commission are such that Mr Agrizzi is going to come back to the commission and give evidence and to be cross-examined."
Zondo said Agrizzi already indicated that he would repeat what he said in his affidavit, that he made an error when he suggested that African Global Operations (formerly Bosasa), or any entities related to it, had paid bribes to Sishuba.
'Publicly apologise'
He would also apologise for his error, Zondo said.
He added that Agrizzi indicated in another affidavit that he took full responsibility for the error.
"Therefore, it is clear that there is really no dispute of fact between the version put up by Ms Sishuba, namely that she never received any payments or bribes from Bosasa."
"Although Mr Agrizzi will come and publicly apologise to Ms Sishuba in due course and make it clear that he was mistaken when he said she had received bribes, it is not necessary to grant the orders, or it is inappropriate to make the orders that Ms Sishuba asked for.
"In these circumstances the application is refused."
During his testimony, Agrizzi delivered bombshell testimony of alleged illegality, including tender corruption and claims that Bosasa paid bribes to avoid being prosecuted.
He estimated that tens of millions of rand were paid in bribes to, mainly, Department of Correctional Services and Department of Social Development officials in exchange for lucrative multibillion-rand tenders, News24 earlier reported.
From 2006 to date, Bosasa secured government contracts worth an estimated R12bn, National Treasury data shows.
