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PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY, 01: Angelo Agrizzi appears in the trade court in Pretoria on the 1 st of February 2019. He appeared with others who were arrested after Agrizzi’s statements at the Zondo Commission. (Photo by Gallo Images/ Netwerk 24 / Beeld)

Bosasa: Ex-COO Angelo Agrizzi to be examined by independent doctor

Former Bosasa COO and whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi has been ill since October 2020 and was not attending court proceedings

latest news in South Africa

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY, 01: Angelo Agrizzi appears in the trade court in Pretoria on the 1 st of February 2019. He appeared with others who were arrested after Agrizzi’s statements at the Zondo Commission. (Photo by Gallo Images/ Netwerk 24 / Beeld)

Former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi will have his medical condition examined by an independent doctor.

Agrizzi, who turned into a whistleblower by exposing the company’s dirty dealings under late boss Gavin Watson, has been ill since October 2020 and was not attending court proceedings. The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court granted the State’s request to use its own doctor to examine Agrizzi and postponed the matter to 2 December 2021.

“On the 2nd of December, a medical assessment will take place as earlier on in this year he [Agrizzi] had provided numerous medical certificates stating that he was unwell and unable to come to court. So, we need to finalise as to what exactly the decision is in moving into next year – whether he [Agrizzi] can continue the trial or not or whether we need to source alternative means to pursue his matter,” said the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka.

Questions over Angelo Agrizzi’s fitness for trial

It was Angelo Agrizzi’s recent TV interviews that prompted the state to gun for him, so says Seboka.

“We have seen that, even though he has not been able to come to court many times, he has been doing television interviews which puts us in a situation where we wondered if the medical certificate he provided is a true reflection of whether he is able to stand trial,”

Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka

Agrizzi was placed behind bars in October 2020, after he was denied bail. He faces corruption charges related to a number of payments made to former African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament (MP) Vincent Smith. He is currently out on R30 000 bail on the same case.