Johannesburg - A former Bosasa employee has told the Zondo commission how he was pressured into drafting a false statement which would place blame for "special projects" on former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi.
Richard le Roux, who currently works for Global Technology Systems (GTS) formerly known as Sondolo IT, took the stand on Thursday as the third witness in the story of the corrupt activities at Bosasa.
GTS is a subsidiary of the Bosasa Group, now known as African Global Operations.
Le Roux said when Angelo Agrizzi left Bosasa 2016, after a breakdown in the relationship with Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson, he was pressured into signing a statement which would incriminate Agrizzi.
He said the pressure came from Watson and his daughter. He said he got a call from Watson, in 2017, who asked him if he would visit his daughter's house and sign an affidavit stating that the instructions for him to do special projects came from Agrizzi.
The special projects involved Bosasa installing security features to the houses of ministers and government officials. The projects were funded by Bosasa.
Le Roux said he expressed reluctance to sign the statement and told Watson that it was unlawful for him to pin the responsibility for the projects on Agrizzi as the mandate came from Watson, Agrizzi and other Bosasa directors.
Le Roux said he decided to tell Agrizzi about the statement sought by the Watsons. He and Agrizzi drew up the statement which was eventually handed over to Watson and his daughter.
"She (Watson" daughter) told me that I need to be aware that Bosasa and Gavin Watson paid my salary. I then approached Angelo Agrizzi and I told him this is what Gavin Watson wanted me to do and that I thought it was unethical to do so. Agrizzi said I should come and see him and that I should do another statement that stated that I was under duress to make the statement," said Le Roux.
Le Roux went on to explain that he was tasked with monitoring cameras at Bosasa's office park. He said in one instance he was told that when VIP and VVIP people visited Bosasa he had to delete the footage of those individuals from the company's camera roll.
He said he would not usually look at who was visiting the office park but would just delete the footage.
However, he remembered one incident where former president Jacob Zuma, former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni and Bheki Cele visited the office park and he had to delete the camera footage after they left.
The inquiry continues.