Former African National Congress MP Vincent Smith accused of corruption and fraud has appointed new lawyers resulting in his matter being postponed to 2 November 2021.
The postponement on Tuesday also gives the state time to disclose the final indictment.
Smith stands accused in his personal capacity as well as a representative for his company Euroblitz 48 Pty Ltd.
The former MP faces charges of corruption for the alleged gratifications he received from Bosasa in the form of security upgrades to his Gauteng home and lump sums paid into his bank account.
Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi has previously claimed Smith was the recipient of bribes from that company.
The State accuses Smith of taking bribes in return for being soft on Bosasa during parliamentary committee meetings that inquired into the affairs of the company.
Smith admits he accepted cash from Bosasa that was transferred into his bank account via his company, Euroblitz.
The former MP denies the nearly R600 000 he accepted was a bribe. Smith insists the money was a loan to help finance his daughter’s university education overseas.
In addition, Smith faces fraud charges for failing to disclose to Parliament the gratifications he received from Bosasa.
Last year Agrizzi – who was breathing with an oxygen device – appeared alongside Smith in court.
But since then the Bosasa executive has claimed to be too ill to appear in court.
On 8 July 2021, the state applied for the separation of trials, which the court granted.
The move was motivated by the infringement of Smith’s rights to a speedy trial blamed on Agrizzi’s absence in court due to ill health.
Earlier this year in August, the Investigating Directorate was granted an order to freeze assets worth R46 million belonging to Smith, his daughter Brumilda Smith, and the property of any other person or entity that benefited from the Bosasa payments.
On Tuesday, the Investigating Directorate informed the court of its intention to subpoena Agrizzi’s doctor to decide on whether the ailing former Bosasa chief operations officer can stand trial.
