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OVERVIEW: #Statecaptureinquiry adjourns for the day with exhausted Agrizzi complaining about not feeling the airconditioning

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Former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi testifies at the Raymond Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on January 16, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Alaister Russell)
Former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi testifies at the Raymond Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on January 16, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Alaister Russell)

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18 Jan 2019

The proceedings have been adjourned and will resume at 10:00 on Monday, unless notice is given for another starting time.

18 Jan 2019

Another server crash was scheduled for November 2017 when they (Bosasa) became aware of a group of whistleblowers who were gearing up to spill the beans.

18 Jan 2019

Agrizzi confirms that the crash was to destroy any digitally-stored information.

18 Jan 2019

Cut ties with Bosasa immediately, Popcru tells correctional services

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) on Friday called for the Department of Correctional Services to immediately cease any work with Bosasa.

"They have not added any value in ensuring the DCS (Department of Correctional Services) lives up to its core mandate, which is to rehabilitate inmates. [Instead], they continued to corrupt individual decision-makers in the department at the compromise of service delivery," Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo charged.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

18 Jan 2019

Venter: "It is important to note that on a previous occasion the servers at Bosasa 'crashed' resulting in a massive data loss, pursuant to years dealing with Mr Gavin Watson, I learnt that he had arranged the crash to stop SIU getting information."

18 Jan 2019

Venter: "It is important to me to reveal the truth and allow a new start, as I have not unduly benefited from the corruption and dishonesty created by Gavin Watson."

18 Jan 2019

North West ANC benefitted from money laundering, Zondo commission hears

Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi told the judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture that members of the ANC in the North West had in the past laundered money through the facility's youth centres and allegedly used it for regional elections.

Agrizzi revealed this on Friday during his third day of testimony.

He said the Department of Social Development in the province had paid Bosasa for software programmes already in place at youth development centres.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

18 Jan 2019

Venter reveals another R10.3m tax dodge involving the disastrous Dealstream saga.

18 Jan 2019

Venter: "I don't think directors/shareholders of Bosasa are aware of the profits being extracted from the Bosasa entities and only the Watson family is gaining from this."

18 Jan 2019

Venter's affidavit continues to detail how he was tasked to assist Lindsay and Roth Watson to restructure the family companies to gain financially from Bosasa.

18 Jan 2019

Venter's affidavit now deals with how Gavin Watson allegedly built luxury homes for his children (Lindsay and Roth Watson) by hiding the costs in legitimate projects to upgrade Bosasa owned-business properties.

18 Jan 2019

Venter's affidavit deals with how Bosasa committed massive tax fraud relating to the SeaArk prawn project. Interestingly, Venter was employed at SARS before becoming an auditor for Bosasa.

18 Jan 2019

READ MORE:

Zondo commission secretary on 'special leave' while Bosasa bribery allegations are investigated

The secretary to the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, Dr Khotso de Wee, has been placed on special leave pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that he was paid bribes by Bosasa.

De Wee has denied the allegations, which are made in an affidavit by former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi.

Agrizzi is currently giving evidence before the commission.

Read more

18 Jan 2019

Venter: "Mr Watson just kept on making illegal demands and I just couldn't take it anymore."

18 Jan 2019

Venter's affidavit deals in some detail with transactions surrounding payments, benefits and gifts to former Bosasa employee Lindie Gouws. 

18 Jan 2019

Here are the details of that affidavit:

Bosasa CEO's 'hidden' R500K donation to Ramaphosa deconstructed

Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson's R500 000 "donation" to President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC presidential campaign in October last year, was designed to be hidden from scrutiny.

Piecing together the mechanics of the payment, News24 has found obvious attempts to shield the identity of the donor from the recipient, being Ramaphosa's campaign.

At the same time, the campaign took steps to keep secret those who donated to it.

Read full article

18 Jan 2019

Agrizzi is still being taken through the Peet Venter's affidavit. We have now reached the part about the payment to the trust account that turned out to be the CR17 campaign funds account.

18 Jan 2019

Lindie Gouws, used to work at Bosasa and had to leave and started a minitry of sorts, close associate of Mr Watson. Regular occurence of property purchases for Miss Gouws.

18 Jan 2019

Statement reads: Bosasa made payments for Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees costing over R1m.

18 Jan 2019

DCJ Raymond Zondo has accepted an offer from the state capture secretary Dr Khotso de Wee to go on special leave while allegations he was paid bribes by Bosasa are fully investigated. 

18 Jan 2019

ICYMI:

Zondo commission secretary implicated in Bosasa corruption

The secretary of the state capture commission of inquiry, Dr Khotso de Wee, is implicated in testimony before the selfsame commission by former Bosasa top boss, Angelo Agrizzi.

In a stunning twist, News24 can report that Agrizzi will name De Wee as a recipient of cash payments relating to a 2008 tender awarded to Bosasa subsidiary, Sondolo IT, by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ) for the installation of security systems at courts around the country.

News24 emailed detailed questions to the commission and followed up with phone calls and text messages to obtain comment, but at the time of writing, no response had been forthcoming. This article will be updated as soon as a response is received.

Read more...

18 Jan 2019

Lunch break, back at 2pm to unpack THAT affidavit by former Bosasa auditor Peet Venter that revealed the controversial R500k donation to the CR17 campaign, and how Bosasa picked up Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal bills. 

18 Jan 2019

PP: In December he expressed his intention to return, you asked him to turn his statement into a sworn affidavit. He did that. In January he returned, and again withdrew.

PP: Now dealing with contents of the Peet Venter affidavit. I am told there would be some controversy emanating from the contents of this affidavit. 

18 Jan 2019

Rumours that Agrizzi forced Venter to make a statement, clarifies that they are rumours as Venter was on holiday.

18 Jan 2019

AA: I was clear, I told Peet Venter I could not look after him financially. If you want to come clean. I was already supporting about 20 family's. I then got a call, he had spoken with his wife or whoever, and had signed his statement. 

18 Jan 2019

AA: There was a meeting between myself and Peet Venter, and he wrote up a full statement. Midway during Novmeber 2017, he decided he was no longer going to whistle-blow, he had been paid by Gavin Watson not to do so. 

18 Jan 2019

The number of schemes to generate cash used by Bosasa is mind-boggling. It shows the extent the company went to to get cash for bribes. It involves a level of premeditation and intent that any prosecutor would have a field day with. 

We move now to Mr Peet Venter, whose affidavit revealed the R500 000 donation to the presidential campaign of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

18 Jan 2019

Agrizzi is detailing how Bosasa generated cash with the assistance of Equal Trade Pty Ltd, owned by Gregg Lacon-Allan. This involved orders of tons of chicken, which Bosasa would pay via EFT, and cash would be delivered to Bosasa in return, minus a cut.

18 Jan 2019

AA: The order would be delivered, and signed off. Payment would be made by Bosasa within 30 days. Invoices included would be zero-rated products which are never used at correctional facilities. 

18 Jan 2019

PP: You refer to another payment in paragraph in 18.3.

AA: There was one person who would have to manipulate the computer systems, the stockholdings, He got R20 000 a month.

PP: Did you take part? If not, where does your knowledge come from?

AA: I was integrally involved in running the business, that's where I got a lot of the information from. I was well aware of the payments and processes. 

18 Jan 2019

PP: It seems on instruction of Gavin Watson, you did pay the persons responsible for the scheme?

AA: Yes.

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