Arrests concerning Bosasa must not be selective

6 February 2019

The arrests that follow on the evidence provided with regard to Bosasa's illegal activities must not be selective and all persons who were involved in any way with any form of corruption, including politicians, must be judged by the same yardstick.

According to media reports, the Hawks' Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has already arrested seven people in connection with allegations of corruption, money laundering and fraud, amongst others, Angelo Agrizzi, former managing director of Bosasa and Linda Mti, former Commissioner of Correctional Services.

It will be interesting to see if people like the former state president, Mr Jacob Zuma and Ms Dudu Myeni, former SAA board director, will also be arrested seeing as they were clearly implicated in corruption by evidence given before the Zondo Commission.

It is unclear why Gavin Watson, chief executive officer of Bosasa, is not among those who were arrested.

The FF Plus is not in favour of granting bail to anyone who is arrested based on allegations of state capture seeing as these people pose a flight risk.

Agrizzi's arrest could also send the message to possible whistle-blowers that they should rather hold their tongue. The supposition is that he could be granted immunity against prosecution if he reveals everything he knows to the Zondo Commission and if he tells the truth wherever else he has to testify.

At present, he is not a flight risk because he is already in the state's witness protection programme.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 6 February