Johannesburg - Proceedings at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry were on Wednesday postponed following a request from former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi and former Bosasa employee Frans Vorster
The duo had requested a postponement minutes after proceedings got under way, citing several issues including difficulty in accessing information contained in Bosasa documents currently under the control of the company's curators.
Agrizzi and Vorster faced cross-examination by former Armscor CEO Kevin Wakeford, who was implicated in both their testimonies earlier this year.
Agrizzi, in his explosive testimony, had told the commission Wakeford had received R100 000 monthly from Bosasa, now African Global Operations, to stifle a SA Revenue Service (Sars) probe into Bosasa.
The duo's application was initially opposed by Wakeford.
Following a brief adjournment, the commission's Advocate Paul Pretorius announced that "some" consensus had been reached between the warring parties following a discussion with investigators.
He then handed over to Wakeford's legal team to make their submission, following their initial opposition to Agrizzi and Vorster's application.
Advocate Reg Willis, for Wakeford, conceded that while consensus had been reached and his client agreed to a postponement, there was dissatisfaction with the turn of events and especially with the "woefully misleading" affidavit submitted in Agrizzi and Vorster's application for a postponement.
"We must place on record that this affidavit that was placed before you, ignores the facts in relation to the history of this matter. The affidavit does two things, it misrepresents the facts over the past couple of months, it strives to then tar our client with the results of today.
"This affidavit is woefully misleading of you Mr chairman and this commission... Mr Agrizzi knows the facts and this will probably become material in the future in his cross-examination as to his credibility and reliability. That speaks to the disparity of commitment and the frustration our client has experienced since the 29th of January when he was implicated by Mr Agrizzi before this commission without compliance with the rules."
After a brief address by Agrizzi's counsel, commission chair Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo announced he had agreed to the duo's request for postponement, adding that the new date for cross-examination would be announced in due course.
"I'm going to postpone the cross-examination of Agrizzi and Vorster by counsel for Mr Wakeford. I am not going to fix a date because that must still be worked out. But attempts will be made to fix a date as soon as possible," he said.