Bosasa allegedly paid Jiba, Mrwebi for NPA information

Agrizzi appeared before the commission of inquiry into state capture for the seventh day of his testimony on Thursday.

He said suspended deputy prosecutions boss Nomgcobo Jiba was paid R100 000 on a monthly basis, her secretary Jackie Lapinka paid R20 000, while suspended director of special prosecutions Lawrence Mwrebi received R10 000 every month.

Agrizzi told the commission the payments were made during a meeting between himself, his former boss Gavin Watson, and former correctional service commissioner Mti soon after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) recommended that the NPA prosecute them.

"Mti would tell us that he met weekly with the persons whom he gave code names too. He gave each of them a code name so that they wouldn't be compromised. He called Jiba ‘Snake’ because she was very alert and always poised to strike, he referred to Lapinka as ‘Jay’ and used the word ‘Snail’ for Mrwebi, because he said he was slow and wouldn't get things done, however, he was there," 

"At these meetings, they would provide him with detailed statuses of the investigation (by the Hawks). One thing I must mention for clarity purposes chair, he never mentioned that Mrwebi was at the meetings, on the telephone, he would say to me: ‘The ladies were with me’, referencing Lapinka and Jiba. They would give very accurate updates and in return, they received the cash monthly,”

Evidence leader Paul Pretorius went through three documents handed over to the commission by Agrizzi that he claims were sent to him by Mti, which he allegedly got from Jiba. 

One of the documents was a list of 39 witnesses that had been interviewed by the Hawks. Agrizzi said this secret document was useful as Bosasa was able to approach the witnesses and offer them bribes to change their statements. 

Another document, entitled ‘secret’, was a memorandum by Advocate Marijke de Kock, a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the Serious Commercial Crimes Unit of the NPA and was directed to then prosecutions boss Menzi Simelane. 

In this memo, De Kock apparently shuts down the whole case, stating that the SIU report was unreliable. 

In another document, Simelane allegedly writes to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, arguing that the SIU report would not succeed in court and pointing to a perceived political vendetta.

"So we were getting documents and having meetings with Mti on a regular basis chair. Watson wanted me after every single meeting get a hold of our attorney and, if need be, a senior counsel and tell them exactly what transpired and give them copies of these documents. Chair, this is a small reflection of what is actually available because they were all at the office, and they still presumably there but the fact of the matter is that they would then give us advice and who better to ask for advice on how to close down a case, but the investigating officer or the prosecutor handling the case," said Agrizzi. 

He said to his knowledge, De Kock was not involved. 

Agrizzi is expected to give more information on why Bosasa allegedly paid off the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and three journalists.