By A Correspondent| Tuesday the 1st of January 2022 served as another stark reminder to the justice fugitive Kenneth Sharpe owned Pokugara Properties and its Managing Director Michael John Van Blerk that they will not easily escape the jaws of justice over crimes of perjury they committed in connivance with City of Harare officials.

Sharpe’s Pokugara Properties, without a court order destroyed a show house built by Harare businessman George Katsimberis.

They later sworn in High Court affidavits that Katsimberis did not submit his architectural plans at City of Harare’s Mt Pleasant office. Katsimberis meanwhile told the court that his plans were submitted at Cleveland House.

Pokugara Properties and Van Blerk had applied for exception claiming that the perjury charges levelled against them were flawed and did not establish an offence at law.

But Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna yesterday dismissed the application saying the arguments presented by the defense were untenable

Allegations are that in October in 2018 at High Court Civil Division Harare, Michael John Van Blerk in his personal capacity of Pokugara Properties jointly or intentionally filed or deposed a statement in case HC8943/18 applied for building plan under MP1683/17 yet it was one or both the accused persons who made such an application on stand 8.

The first accused further lied that the complainant had constructed a show house on stand 10 instead of Stand 9 yet in actual fact the show house was built on Stand 9. Both accused persons pleaded not guilty and excepting to the charge.

The show house in question was constructed by Katsimberis under a botched joint venture with Pokugara proprietor, Kenneth Sharpe, who is said to have controversially pulled out from the deal.

Pokugara properties and Van Blerk were represented by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara while Zivanai Macharaga appeared on behalf of the state.

The matter has been deferred to February 16, 2022 for continuation.