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NPA Proceeds With Trial Of Witness-Cum-Accused Despite ZACC Praise Of Whistleblowers
1 July 2021
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BY A CORRESPONDENT| Recent remarks by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo praising whistle-blowers for their role in the fight against corruption could prove to be mere rhetoric following the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to proceed with the trial of Harare businessman George Katsimberis who is a witness and an accused on the same set of facts.

Matanda-Moyo in a recent statement said whistle-blowers played a big part in the arrest of 103 corruption accused persons in the past six months.

Katsimberis reported the then City of Harare Town Clerk Hosia Chisango, Engineer Isaiah Chawatama as well as Augur Investments owner Kenneth Raydon Sharpe and his ally Michael John Van Blerk among others for malicious damage to property.

He is now in trouble as the accused persons in his case turned around and reported him for fraud using the same set of facts.

In his letter to NPA, Head of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) in the office of the President, Tabani Mpofu expressed concern that a witness lined up to testify on behalf of the state was being charged on the same facts.

“SACU is deeply concerned that a witness who is lined up to testify on behalf of the state, that is George Katsimberis is now being charged on the same facts and the accused persons in his case are now witnesses in a case against him.

“In these two cases that are referred herein above the state appears to allege a particular fact on one hand and also alleging the opposite and charge its own witness. The efforts of combating corruption can be put in jeopardy if cases are handled in this way,” SACU said.

Katsimberis reported Chisango and his accomplices after, without a court order they destroyed a show house he built at the corner of Teviotdale and Whitwell Road, Borrowdale as part of a botched joint venture agreement with Sharpe.

Now he has to content standing in the dock as an accused person after Sharpe reported him back for fraud claiming that he used substandard material to construct the show house.