Johannesburg - The family of the late African Global Operations (formerly known as Bosasa) chief executive Gavin Watson have laid 171 charges of theft totalling R37.5million against former Bosasa officials Angelo Agrizzi and Andries van Tonder.
The money was allegedly taken between 2012 and 2017.
On Wednesday the family pressed charges of theft against the two men.
Agrizzi was the company’s chief operating officer and Van Tonder was chief financial officer.
Through Jared Watson, the nephew of Bosasa’s late founder Gavin Watson, the theft charges were laid at Krugersdorp police station. At the same time, the company applied for a section 300 compensation order against the two former employees.
Jared Watson said that was because they wanted the two to pay back the millions they had allegedly stolen during their time with the company.
According to online law portal derebus.org.za, section 300 of the Criminal Procedure Act makes provision for an award of compensation by the court during criminal proceedings.
The section provides that where a person is convicted of an offence which has caused damage to or loss of property, the court in question may, on the application of the injured person or of the prosecutor acting on the instructions of the injured person, forthwith award the injured person compensation for such damage or loss.
Asked by Independent Media to comment about the order and how he planned to face it, Agrizzi said: “I have not been made aware of the actual charges so I cannot comment as yet.”
Efforts to trace Van Tonder yielded no positive results.
Speaking to Independent Media after laying the theft charges against the two on Wednesday, Jared accused the two former employees of using their own companies (and sometimes companies of relatives) to bill Bosasa for services that were never rendered, hence the decision to press 171 charges of theft against them.
He said Bosasa had uncovered this after conducting a detailed forensic investigation. He claimed the men had been able to avoid detection because they were in charge of the payment systems at Bosasa.
Among the companies included in the affidavit are Spilacraft cc, Sinkroprop cc, Aruziwe cc and Lombicor cc.
Jason also alleged that in order to conceal their tracks, they had included companies owned by their relatives, these companies being Semeg cc and Stonebridge Electromechanical Engineering.