The Gauteng High Court has ordered former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi to pay the state R1,666,582,825.73 plus interest in proceeds linked to the company’s corruption network.
Judge Mokhine Mosopa handed down the order on 29 October 2026 under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Interest runs from the date of judgment until payment in full.
The order follows Agrizzi’s November 2025 conviction after he pleaded guilty to three counts of corruption and one count of money laundering under a plea agreement with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption. The agreement produced a suspended sentence conditional on his cooperation. Confiscation was left for a separate inquiry heard on 30 July 2026.
The court found that Agrizzi acted in common purpose with other Bosasa executives in a scheme that paid about R75.7 million in bribes between 2000 and 2016 to secure government contracts worth roughly R2.37 billion, mainly with the Department of Correctional Services. He admitted helping prepare cash bundles used for bribes.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi welcomed the ruling. NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the court accepted the state’s argument that Agrizzi’s participation in the joint criminal enterprise justified attributing its proceeds to him rather than limiting the sum to money he personally kept.
Agrizzi, speaking from Italy, told Daily Maverick he does not have the money. “What do you think about the R1.6-billion? Do you think I got it?” he asked. He said he was an employee, not a director or shareholder, and described himself as “not Rockefeller.” He has said he will apply for leave to appeal and does not dispute his conviction or his evidence before the Zondo Commission.
The NPA stressed that the order creates a legal obligation but does not mean R1.66 billion has already been recovered. Recovery will depend on available assets and enforcement. The court also ordered Agrizzi to pay legal costs, including two counsel, and directed that curator bonis fees be paid from his realisable property.
Agrizzi’s 2019 testimony at the Zondo Commission detailed Bosasa’s alleged bribery system involving senior politicians and officials. One co-accused, former ANC MP Vincent Smith, later received a seven-year sentence.
