Court grants former MP time to sort out legal fee issue

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The Johannesburg High Court postponed the corruption case against the former MP, Vincent Smith to July 30, for him to finalise his funding issues to pay for his legal fees. 

According to the Hawks spokesperson Henry Mamothame, Judge Mohamed Ismail ordered this postponement to be final, as the matter had been postponed on numerous occasions.

He further ordered for a trial date to be decided on when the matter sits in July.

Smith is facing charges of Contravening Section 7 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 (PRECCA) and fraud.

“In these two charges, he was charged together with the former BOSASA Chief Operations Officer (COO), Angelo Agrizzi, and their matter had to be separated, owing to Agrizzi’s ill health.  

“Smith is facing corruption charges in his personal capacity, as well as in his capacity as a sole director and shareholder of Euroblitz 48.

“His fraud charges emanate from his failure to disclose to the Registrar of parliamentary members’ interest, the gratification that he received from BOSASA, pursuant to the alleged corrupt activities with which he, Euroblitz 48 and Agrizzi are charged for,” he said.

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Mamothame stated that Smith further failed to disclose the taxable income of Euroblitz between March 2009 and July 2018, allegedly totalling R28 million. 

Smith’s bail was extended and the court warned him to avail himself at the next court sitting on July 30.