South Africa

DAYS OF ZONDO

Angelo Agrizzi accused of ‘making things up’ at commission

Angelo Agrizzi accused of ‘making things up’ at commission
Former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer Angelo Agrizzi testifies at the Zondo Commission on 23 January 2019. (Photo by Gallo Images / Netwerk24 / Felix Dlangamandla)

In a cross-examination that lasted four hours on Thursday evening, former Bosasa consultant Kevin Wakeford’s legal representative accused Angelo Agrizzi, former Bosasa COO, of making up his allegations against Wakeford.

On Thursday afternoon Angelo Agrizzi, former Bosasa chief operating officer, joined the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture via his computer to be cross-examined by former Bosasa consultant Kevin Wakeford’s legal representative, Reg Willies, who accused Agrizzi of fabricating his allegations against Wakeford.

Agrizzi was asked for specific dates of meetings between Wakeford, Gavin Watson, who was the CEO of Bosasa, and George Papadakis, who worked at the SA Revenue Service (SARS), but was unable to do so.

Agrizzi had previously told the commission that Wakeford and Papadakis were asked by Watson to influence “a major SARS investigation” into Bosasa between 10 March 2008 and 26 February 2009. In exchange, Wakeford would be paid R100,000 and Papadakis would receive cement. Agrizzi also claimed that Wakeford had a hand in Bosasa’s renegotiated contract with the Department of Home Affairs.

When Wakeford appeared before the commission last month, he said that this couldn’t be true as the first SARS audit into Bosasa took place in 2011, which Willies also pointed out on Thursday.

On Thursday, Agrizzi changed his tune and said that the meetings took place between 2009 and 2012, but that he couldn’t recall the exact dates “because it’s been more than 10 years now”.

“You’re too scared to commit [to giving exact dates] because you make it up as you go. You don’t remember what you say because you make it up as you go,” said Willies.

But Agrizzi insisted that he was telling the truth, even if he couldn’t recall the dates. “I wasn’t lying then and I’m not lying now,” Agrizzi told the commission.

When Wakeford appeared before the commission last month, he denied Agrizzi’s allegations. Wakeford, who worked as a consultant for Bosasa, told the commission that he was paid R50,000 a month. On a few occasions he was paid R100,000, but, Wakeford said, those were “catch-up payments” for months he hadn’t been paid.

Agrizzi agreed that Bosasa fell into arrears when it came to paying Wakeford. “I don’t dispute that, [but] Watson was the one who gave instructions and would say, ‘Don’t pay him,’ ” said Agrizzi.

He then blamed Wakeford’s accounting system, “which was a mess”, for the delayed payments. But Willies said that Agrizzi had not provided “objective evidence” to prove this.

When Willies asked Agrizzi whether he considered Wakeford a foe, Agrizzi replied: “I don’t consider him a foe, I consider him troubled. Sometimes people are put up to things by other people and that could’ve happened to him.”

When Wakeford concluded his testimony a month ago, he told the commission that Agrizzi wasn’t a whistle-blower, that instead he “was a greedy, narcissistic man who wanted to be back in the chair of the king”. 

In concluding the four-hour cross-examination, Willies made similar claims against Agrizzi’s motives for initially coming to the commission. 

“Your motive for coming to the commission was to blacken the name of the company, since you couldn’t take over it,” said Willies. DM

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  • Ediodaat For Today says:

    For me the inability of Willis to pin Agrizzi down showed his incompetence when DCJ was able to easily do it. Was he expecting Agrizzi to just hang himself? Pathetic.

    • Angelo Agrizzi says:

      Dear Ediodaat, ever considered that because Agrizzi was telling the truth, Willis just couldnt pin him down – Also please bear in mind the fact that Jared Watson was there and paid for Wakefords representation (Willis) speaks volumes. Also it important to note that if you do some research you will see the very Jarod Watson flanked by his corrupt father and uncle and attorney made an offer to Agrizzi of R50 Million Rand to keep quite and leave. Interesting but if you need more clarity email me at angelo at angeloagrizzi dot com or read the books and scan the QR codes for the facts

  • Coen Gous says:

    I am afraid this article is not a true reflection of what took place yesterday. Mr. Willies (loosely referred to as Mr Chappies, chewing gun endlessly by viewers watching this legal drama via SABC News on YouYube), was trying his best to unsettle Agrizzi, intimidating him. Agrizzi, clearly still sick and short of breath, using his oxygen supply on occasion, stuck by his guns on the real facts.
    Whilst Agrizzi was part of this Bosasa cabal, he came clean, and the reason for the total collapse of Bosasa. South Africa owes him a lot, even though he will spend some time in jail, if his life on earth does not run short before that happens.
    I will be most surprised if Dep. Chief Judge Zondo do not accept Mr Agrizzi’s testimony in full. Wakeford, Papadakis and others must have real headaches by now, and justifiably so.

    • Angelo Agrizzi says:

      Dear Coen, i appreciate your comment – the facts are as i put them at the Zondo Commission – and in both my books. Of course there has been reprisal. I am also glad you realise that i didn’t go to Zondo because there was a charge looming, i went to show South Africa how corrupt the system was, and it still is, i have the information of how senior people manipulated the system to ensure we got arrested in fact the very investigating officer who i might add did nothing word were when they arrested the whistleblower ÿou being arrested because you shouldn’t have gone to the commission”the late Frank Dutton was disgusted with the statement but the politics of the day dictated. Of course Wankford – Papadakis and others were highly annoyed with me, after all the Watsons even offered me R50 Million to shut up and leave in August 2018. Here is the interesting part in 2016 – I reported this – it came back Nolie Prosecu, I went to all possible avenues, all the doors were shut. At the moment my health is of such a nature that this is being typed by a nurse simply because i cannot type. You will recall that at all times Willis was taking instructions from Jared Watson – wonder why? Why did Jared Watson intimidate one of the whistleblowers. There has been a guided and orchestrated attempt to discredit the whistleblowers by the Watson element – but the truth is out there and unwaveringly even as ill as i am i will not allow the truth to be distorted by corrupt and idiotic bullies -Grazie AA

  • John Bestwick says:

    I wonder if anyone pointed out that the Watsons and Wakeford are from PE together and Wakeford already was dodgy before he left

    • Charles Parr says:

      If you think Wakeford is dodgy what do you think of the Watsons. They are the absolute pits.

      • Angelo Agrizzi says:

        1. Burnt down house – and how Kotzen amazingly came up with an OTP, years later gets paid R15 Million for two pickups and a few spades, no due diligince
        2, Sea Ark at Coega R600 Million Failed – NO EIA – Tax Payers money wasted
        3. Wind Farm – Ronnie Watson and Jared Watson – NO EIA – Relied on minister to push it through – Burnt Nests – Fact – So what if the V Eagles are an endangered / protected species
        4. Cheeky Watson – R12 Million Fraud case – slowly slowly disappeared
        5. Royalston Wildlife Estate – who knows what’s looming all the small nyana skeletons – has EIA’s been conducted – Who is involved
        6. Watsons Shielding Jarrod Mansell at Royalston who with Daniel Mansell funded building projects in exchange for government deals – FACT

        Love it if you would contact me and share more information

    • Angelo Agrizzi says:

      John – The facts are the facts, for instance no-one questions the fact that Wakeford on his own “ability” saw to issue out the Home Affairs “Turnaround”contract worth about R1,5 Billion rand without a tender or treasury oversight to Fever Tree consulting that then employed his long time friend Aneel Radhakrishna and Roelf Meyer as well as a Watson to handle the Home Affairs deal, he admits in the Commission he did so, is he questioned by the Hawks etc – Nope But his sole purpose going to the Zondo Commission was to create speculation and magnify what he believed was a “third Column in the fourth dimension of whatever conspiracy planet he was living on. But yes they all come from Port Elizabeth have numerous failed ventures behind them and front as the apartheid destroyers and that they build BEE empires, but the truth is that despite what is reflected on paper the ultimate shareholding always filters to the Watsons, and others (the black “empowerees”) always have a rude awakening. Fundementaly i had am issue with the fronting that was rife – Simple question let’s take a few entities – Bosasa – AGO and Vulisango or throw is Simmers and Jack – start the exercise and see where ultimately all the shareholding filters down to – 100% White Males – Lets go to what they speculated would be the biggest Wind Farm in South Africa – 100% Watson whites, Ronnie Watson – Tandy (Ronnie’s daughter) Oh Fe investments Jared and Valance Watson – some real empowerment ? Check my facts – the truth

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