Agrizzi denied bail

The Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge in Johannesburg has denied bail to former BOSASA COO, Angelo Agrizzi. His legal team had tried to persuade the court to grant him bail, citing health reasons.

However, state advocate Arno Rossouw told the court that Agrizzi was a huge flight risk because of his substantial foreign investments in countries like Italy that run into millions of rand. Agrizzi will be back in court with his co-accused, former African National Congress MP Vincent Smith, who’s out on R30 000 bail, on the 3rd of December.

SABC’s Samkele Maseko has been following the court proceedings:

Agrizzi will spend his first night in prison. Magistrate Phillip Venter says Agrizzi should stand trial and be held accountable if he’s convicted of any acts of corruption. The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court heard that Agrizzi lied to the court in his affidavit.

National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate’ spokesperson Sindisiwe Twala says they have welcomed the decision to deny Agrizzi his bail application.

“The Investigating Directorate welcomes the decision taken by the Commercial Crimes court sitting in Palm Ridge which refused bail for former BOSASA COO Angelo Agrizzi. Agrizzi appeared alongside with his co-accused Vincent Smith who’s out on bail for fraud and corruption charges.”

Meanwhile, Agrizzi’s lawyer, Danny Wiltz, has apologised for insinuating that former BOSASA CEO, Gavin Watson, might not be dead. He made the comments as he was arguing for Agrizzi to be granted bail for his fraud and corruption charges. He apologised, saying he didn’t mean to cause any hurt to the nation and the Watson family.

“It appears that he’s the late Gavin Watson but I’ve never been involved in anything to say it is or it isn’t. There’s a lot of rumors and things going around as the same as Mr (Brett) Kebble, there was rumors that he’s not dead. But I don’t think we need to go there because it’s unfortunately the family that has suffered enough and if they’ve lost a person, I think that’s enough.”

Angelo Agrizzi’s bail application

The case of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi and former ANC MP, Vincent Smith, will be back in the Commercial Crimes court in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on December 3rd.