Brother-in-law blamed for Bosasa bribery bungle

Gavin Watson allegedly blamed his brother-in-law, prominent former Port Elizabeth businessman Mark Taverner, for not taking the necessary precautions in covering up bribes to former Bay security head Linda Mti – and the subsequent Special Investigations Unit probe into his company Bosasa.

Former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi made the claim about Taverner while testifying at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture last week.

Agrizzi, who resumes his testimony on Monday, said politicians and businesspeople had been bribed to pave the way for lucrative contracts.

Last week, Agrizzi said Bosasa had bribed senior officials from the department of correctional services to secure lucrative contracts at prisons across the country.

He said Bosasa allegedly oversaw the construction and footed the bill for lavish houses built for former prisons boss Mti and others – with Taverner hands-on when it came to furnishing the house.

Because of this, he said, Bosasa underhandedly landed a massive R486m contract for fencing at about 66 prisons in 2005, while Mti was commissioner at correctional services.

Taverner, who owned some of the Bay’s most iconic restaurants – Nelson’s Arms, The Anchor and Cadillac Jack’s – moved to Johannesburg a few years ago.

He is an old boy of Marist Brothers in Walmer and alumnus of the former PE Technikon. Taverner, Agrizzi said, was employed by Bosasa and also owned his own company that allegedly directly benefited, as “Mark and [his wife] Sharon Taverner owned and operated a company which saw to the furnishing and decor and invoiced Bosasa for payment thereof”.

He said holidays and travelling costs for Mti’s family were also allegedly paid for by Bosasa.

“Initially, I came to learn that Mark Taverner and Gavin Watson would make holiday arrangements for Mti,” he said.

“Mark Taverner complained at one stage about a booking he made during a December one year at Bushmans River and there were issues regarding the booking.

“I was often tasked by Gavin Watson to arrange flights for the Mti family.

“I was instructed to open up a fictitious account with Blakes Travel. This account was in the name of JJ Venter.”

Agrizzi said that, in 2009, he had been given a copy of the SIU report.

In the report were details of bribes made to politicians in the form of furniture, holidays, cash deposits, university fees, construction of houses, imported kitchens and even a matric dance dress and more.

It was after Agrizzi had chatted to Watson about the report that Watson turned on Taverner.

Agrizzi claimed Watson blamed Taverner and two others for “not taking precautionary measures”.

He said Watson had not gone into detail about what Taverner had done wrong but assured him that everything was under control.

After the report had been released, Mark and Sharon Taverner received subpoenas in a case brought by the SIU.

“I was instructed by Gavin Watson to meet with them and to take steps to delay their appearance as much as possible,” Agrizzi said.

“I was to attend meetings with them and attorney [Brian] Biebuyck to ensure that Bosasa was not compromised, and to insist on seeing their statements before they were submitted. I did this.

“They eventually appeared in compliance with the subpoenas.”

Mti, who was briefly the head of security for Nelson Mandela Bay, allegedly received up to R65‚000 a month over a period of several years from Bosasa after he resigned from correctional services.

Agrizzi also linked Taverner to correctional services chief financial officer Patrick Gillingham.

He said Taverner had retained Gillingham on the payroll of BEE Foods at a salary of R65,000 a month and a company car, a Mercedes GLA 200, over and above his R110,000 a month cash bribe.

Agrizzi said he was aware of between 25 and 30 payments that were allegedly made to Mti between 2006 and 2016‚ when he resigned from Bosasa.

Taverner declined to comment on Sunday.

Mti did not respond to numerous phone calls or a Whatsapp message which he read.

Watson did not answer his phone and Gillingham could not be tracked down.