Former African National Congress Member of Parliament Vincent Smith has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment following a plea and sentence agreement with the state .
Smith appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday, where Judge Mohamed Ismail accepted the plea agreement in accordance with Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Guilty Plea and Charges
Smith pleaded guilty to charges including contravening Section 7 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, fraud, money laundering, and contravention of the Tax Act .
His conviction relates to corruption and fraud charges in his personal capacity, as well as in his capacity as a sole director and shareholder of Euroblitz 48 . He failed to disclose to the Registrar of parliamentary members’ interests the gratification he received from Bosasa, pursuant to the corrupt activities with which he, Euroblitz 48, and former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi were charged.
Smith also failed to disclose the taxable income of Euroblitz between March 2009 and July 2018, totalling approximately R28 million . Charges against Euroblitz were withdrawn.
Sentence Details
Smith was sentenced to 12 years on each of the counts, with each suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit similar offences during the suspension period . He will effectively spend seven years in prison.
Judge’s Remarks
Judge Ismail expressed grave concern over what he characterised as a “scourge” of corruption that has infiltrated various levels of society, asserting that it necessitates decisive action.
“He remarked on the considerations he had to make, especially that the accused was a lawmaker entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the laws of the country are upheld,” said National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigations Directorate Anti-Corruption spokesperson Henry Mamothame.
NPA Welcomes Sentence
National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi welcomed the sentence.
“Inasmuch as the trial took longer than anticipated to be finalised, the wheels of justice finally got in motion, and the rule of law was upheld. I commend the prosecution team involved in the matter,” Mothibi said.
Mamothame added: “The NPA’s IDAC remains committed to ensuring that state capture matters are dealt with and that the courts hold those accountable for their alleged criminality”.
Background
Smith was arrested alongside Agrizzi in 2020 and charged with corruption . Their cases were separated due to Agrizzi’s ill health . Smith was first linked to Bosasa corruption in 2018 and 2019 during the Zondo Commission, where Angelo Agrizzi testified that Smith was the company’s man in Parliament. Agrizzi claimed Bosasa paid for security upgrades at Smith’s private residence .
In November 2024, Smith was ordered to pay back R735,000 of the R2.1 million paid to his company Euroblitz 48 by Bosasa. He had already paid back more than R500,000 of that amount to the Criminal Assets Recovery Account . Smith was also ordered to pay back tax debt to SARS, which he has already settled.
