Former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi has been handed a 10-year prison sentence, wholly suspended for five years, after entering a plea and sentence agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The Pretoria High Court confirmed the deal on Thursday, noting that Agrizzi’s poor health made direct imprisonment “impractical and inhumane.”
The sentence will remain suspended on condition that he cooperates fully with the state in ongoing corruption investigations linked to Bosasa’s multimillion-rand government contracts.
Should he fail to do so, the court warned, the suspension will be revoked, and he will serve the full term behind bars.
Agrizzi, appearing virtually from his Johannesburg home due to chronic illness, was visibly frail.
Tubes could be seen connected to his nose and chest as he followed proceedings via video link. His attorney, Francois Kriel, told the court that Agrizzi’s medical condition made incarceration impossible.
“The kind of care and medication Mr. Agrizzi requires cannot be provided in a state facility,” Kriel said.
Judge Papi Mosopa accepted the plea agreement after hearing submissions from both the state and the defence. Prosecutor Arno Rossouw said Agrizzi’s cooperation was critical to the ongoing Bosasa investigations, which remain one of the largest corruption scandals in South Africa’s democratic history.
“The plea deal includes an undertaking to testify truthfully in related matters,” Rossouw told the court.
Agrizzi’s sentence stems from his role in facilitating more than R1.8 billion in irregular tenders awarded to Bosasa and its subsidiaries between 2004 and 2007.
The company allegedly paid bribes and kickbacks to senior Department of Correctional Services officials, including Linda Mti, Patrick Gillingham, and Andries van Tonder, to secure lucrative contracts for catering, fencing, and security systems.
Agrizzi’s separate case involving alleged kickbacks to former ANC MP Vincent Smith is also expected to conclude following his agreement with the state. He previously testified before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, where his explosive revelations exposed a web of corruption linking Bosasa executives to senior government officials.
The NPA confirmed that Agrizzi’s testimony remains a “key component” in several pending prosecutions.
“He has undertaken to assist the State wherever required. Failure to cooperate will activate the custodial portion of his sentence,” said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
Agrizzi’s health has been a recurring issue throughout his legal proceedings. Since suffering a heart attack in 2020, he has been in and out of hospital and was declared medically unfit for prolonged detention. Despite this, Judge Mosopa noted that “justice required some measure of accountability,” even if the sentence could not be custodial.
Agrizzi’s sentence will remain under review for the next five years. Any breach of the agreement, including refusal to testify or assist in investigations, will trigger automatic imprisonment for the full term.
