4 in court for R1.8bn tenders awarded to Bosasa, subsidiaries

Former correctional services boss Linda Mti. Picture: Werner Beukes/Sapa

Former correctional services boss Linda Mti. Picture: Werner Beukes/Sapa

Published Jul 29, 2020

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Pretoria - Former Commissioner of Correctional Services, Linda Mti, and three others appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in connection with charges relating to tenders amounting to over R1.8 Billion-rand.

Mti, former Correctional Service chief financial officer Patrick Gillingham, Bosasa Operations Ltd former chief operations officer, Angelo Agrizzi, and the company’s erstwhile chief financial officer, Andries Van Tonder appeared on charges of fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, corruption and money laundering.

The matter was postponed to October 16 to set a trial date.

The Investigating directorate of prosecutors and the legal team of the accused agreed to meet for a pre-trial conference and interlocutory issues before that next court date.

The matter relates to four tenders awarded to Bosasa Operations and its subsidiaries, valued at over R1.8 billion between 2004 and 2007.

It relates to contracts for the rendering of catering and training services, installation of CCTV cameras, installation of perimeter fencing, supply of television systems and monitoring equipment.

All the accused are out on R20 000 bail each, they surrendered their passports.

Their bail was extended.

Head of the Investigating Directorate, Advocate Hermione Cronje said this prosecution deals with the early days of corruption perpetrated by Bosasa.

“The company and its subsidiaries and affiliates went on to secure in excess of R34 billion in government contracts from a range of government departments at all levels, even after the corruption in these four initial tenders was laid bare in 2010.”

The Directorate’s investigations into those who enabled the corruption to continue after the initial SIU report, is the subject of ongoing investigations by the Directorate.

More arrests in the matter will follow as these investigations draw to a close,” she said.

Pretoria News

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