Ficks

COURT ORDERS ANGELO AGRIZZI TO PAY STATE R1.66 BILLION IN BOSASA CORRUPTION PROCEEDS The Pretoria High Court has ordered former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi to pay the State R1 666 582 825.73 (R1.66 billion) following a confiscation enquiry linked to his role in the company’s extensive corruption network. Judge Mosopa ruled in favour of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), finding that Agrizzi benefited from Bosasa’s unlawful activities and that the State was entitled to confiscate the proceeds. Key findings in the judgment: 🔴 Agrizzi was convicted in November 2025 after pleading guilty to three counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. 🔴 His plea agreement acknowledged a deeply entrenched corruption network at Bosasa, allegedly used to secure government contracts worth approximately R2.37 billion over more than two decades. 🔴 Approximately R75.7 million in bribes was paid between 2000 and 2016 to secure contracts. 🔴 The court found that Agrizzi had failed to make full and frank disclosure of his financial affairs and properties, including assets in Italy. 🔴 The judge rejected his argument that he could not be held liable for the wider criminal activities of Bosasa, finding that he had acted in common purpose with other executives. 🔴 The court also found that his salary, bonuses, investments and pension benefits could be considered benefits derived from unlawful activities. THE ORDER: Agrizzi must pay the State R1,666,582,825.73. Interest is payable from the date of judgment until final payment. He must also pay the State’s legal costs, including the costs of two counsel on Scale C. The judge emphasised that the purpose of a confiscation order is to ensure that criminals do not benefit from their ill-gotten gains.

MEDIA STATEMENT POSTPONEMENT OF HEARING IN THE FULL COURT PROCEEDINGS CONCERNING THE DETENTION OF PROSPECTIVE ASYLUM SEEKERS (Case number: 2026/220414) The Gauteng Division of the High Court, Johannesburg, wishes to inform the public and the media that the hearing before a Full Court in the proceedings concerning the detention of prospective asylum seekers, previously scheduled for 29 October 2026, has been postponed and will now be heard from 16 to 18 November 2026. The proceedings comprise 33 urgent applications referred by the Judge President of the Gauteng Division to a Full Court to determine important legal and constitutional questions concerning the detention of undocumented foreign nationals who express an intention to apply for asylum. The referral followed differing judicial approaches regarding the effect of the Constitutional Court's judgment in Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town v Minister of Home Affairs and Others and was intended to promote legal certainty, uniformity of judicial practice, and the consistent administration of justice. The postponement has become necessary due to the substantial expansion of the proceedings since they were enrolled. Five amici curiae and two intervening parties have been admitted. In addition, one of the applicants belatedly filed a Rule 16A notice raising constitutional issues, while several parties filed affidavits out of time, resulting in further affidavits and supplementary written submissions. The matter, initially allocated a single hearing day, now requires three hearing days for its proper determination. On 21 October 2026, one of the applicants filed a notice in terms of Rule 16A of the Uniform Rules of Court raising additional constitutional issues concerning the detention of persons who express an intention to seek asylum. Rule 16A requires notice to be given of constitutional issues raised in litigation and affords interested persons an opportunity to seek admission as amici curiae. To give effect to these objectives, and notwithstanding that five amici curiae have already been admitted, the Court has directed truncated time periods in terms of Rule 6(12) to enable any interested person or organisation wishing to participate as an amicus curiae in relation to the constitutional issues identified in the Rule 16A notice to do so. Any person or organisation wishing to apply for admission as an amicus curiae pursuant to the Rule 16A notice must file its application for admission, together with its written submissions, by Friday, 6 November 2026. Persons seeking access to the referral notice, the Rule 16A notice, or the digital court files may contact Mr Kwena Ramoroka, Secretary to Judge Lebogang Modiba, the Case Management Judge, at [email protected]. Issued by the Office of the Chief Justice