Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) CEO Kevin Wakeford has requested special leave, after his name was mentioned during testimony before the Zondo Commission Inquiry into State Capture last week.
IOL News reported on Sunday that Bosasa’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi last week told the commission that Bosasa boss Gavin Watson had allegedly showered South African Post Office’s former head of security Sivivwe Mapisa and its former CE Maanda Manyatshe with expensive gifts.
Mapisa allegedly has a trust that was registered in 2007, in which Watson’s brother is a trustee, along with Wakeford. It is believed the trust may have benefitted from the Bosasa group.
Armscor confirmed on Monday that the organisation has not done any work and has no known commercial contract with the Bosasa group, now called African Global Corporations.
The board of Armscor has granted Wakeford special leave until further notice, which allows him time to prepare his evidence for the commission
The board said it would meet in due course to finalise interim arrangements.
Meanwhile, Armscor has been without a chairperson since October last year, when Vice-Admiral Johannes Mudimu announced his retirement owing to ill health.