Ex-ANC MP Vincent Smith’s fraud, corruption case postponed to April

Former ANC MP Vincent Smith’s fraud and corruption case has been postponed to 6 April 2022.

The Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on Tuesday deferred the case after State provided Smith’s legal team with a tax fraud docket. The legal team is expected to consult their client on how to proceed with the case.

This followed the State’s decision in November last year to add an additional charge of tax fraud against Smith and his company Euroblitz, stemming from his failure to disclose taxable income between 9 March 2009 and 11 July 2018, totalling R28 million.

ALSO READ: NPA adds tax fraud to former ANC MP Vincent Smith’s charge sheet

Smith faces several charges including tax fraud, money laundering, corruption and breach of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.

The ex-parliamentarian stands accused of corruption for the alleged gratifications he received from corruption-accused company Bosasa in the form of security upgrades to his Gauteng home, and for allegedly accepting cash transferred into his personal bank account and his company from Bosasa and other people unknown to the State.

He further faces corruption charges for allegedly accepting further gratifications from Waterfall Golf Estate (Pty) Ltd and CLIDET 69 (PTY) LTD.

READ MORE: Ex-ANC MP Vincent Smith denies alleged bribes

Smith denies the bribes Bosasa paid to him were meant to take off the heat from the company when he chaired the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services.

Bosasa allegedly scored contracts totalling just over R1 billion from the Department of Correctional Services between 2004 and 2007.

Sindisiwe Seboka, the spokesperson for the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID), said the ID was able to enroll the further tax charges through the help of the South African Revenue Service. 

“Additional charges include failure to disclose to the Parliament’s Register of Members’ Interest the gratifications, cash deposits and money that was paid to him by Waterfall Golf Estate (Pty) Ltd and CLIDET 69 (PTY) LTD,” Seboka said in a statement.

Angelo Agrizzi

At the same time, the NPA wants Smith’s co-accused, former Bosasa chief operating officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi, to be examined by an independent physician. Agrizzi’s trial has been delayed several times after he failed to appear in court for most of 2021 citing ill health.

He said he was not opposed to being medically examined by the State, but only if it was done in the presence of his lawyer or a family member.

Agrizzi is accused of paying bribes on behalf of Bosasa to Smith in exchange for his influence, as the then chairperson of parliament’s oversight committee on Correctional Services.

A medical inquiry on Agrizzi’s fitness to stand trial has been set down for 2 March at the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes’ Court.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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