By Jane Mlambo| Harare land developer George Katsimberis has described his former business partner Kenneth Raydon Sharpe as a fraudster, crook and thief consistently defrauding people by engaging in shoddy deals while amassing thousands of hectares of prime Harare land.
Katsimberis made the remarks during cross examination by Harare lawyer Alec Muchadehama in a matter where suspended Harare City Town Clerk Hosia Chisango is facing perjury charges after he lied in a High Court affidavit that his then business partner did not have approved plans when he constructed a show house at Pokugara Estate.
“Your Worship i never went to Mount pleasant Council office with my building plans, these plans here are theirs, which they aquired using corrupt tendencies, I went to Council’s Cleveland House with my building plans and I paid for everything as required by City of Harare, I have proof of payment and bank statements to prove that,” said Katsimberis.
Katsimberis said Sharpe’s fraudulent nature has since caught up with him as reflected by numerous criminal charges against him before the Courts.
“Your Worship Kenneth Raydon Sharpe is a fraudster, crook and chief, he is trying to still from me using fraudulent means using corrupt City of Harare officials by claiming that i submitted my building plans to Mount Pleasant office while i submitted my building plans to Cleveland House for approval”, said Katsimberis.
“I make the point that Kenneth Raydon Sharpe is fraudster. He has permanently consistently been defrauding the people of Zimbabwe either in the form of the Government of Zimbabwe, local authorities, the residents in particular of Harare and business people like myself…” said Katsimberis.
He further cited what he termed a secret deed of settlement defrauding Zimbabweans.
Sharpe is alleged to have entered into a secret deed of settlement with the government of Zimbabwe where he was given vast tracts of land in Pomona.
The deal has since been challenged by Harare North legislator Norman Markham.
Katsimberis also referred to the numerous criminal cases before the Harare Magistrates Court where Sharpe is answering to charges of malicious damage to property and perjury among others.
“Criminal proceedings have now been instituted against Kenneth Raydon Sharpe and his activities for various omission and commission relating to his dealings with myself,” added Katsimberis.
Sharpe is currently at large and believed to be hiding in Mauritius, were he is facing a litany of charges before the Courts raging from money laundering, fraud and shoddy land dealings in Harare worthy nearly US$2 billion.