By A Correspondent| Controversial and exiled land baron Kenneth Raydon Sharpe’s bid to escape trial has hit a brick wall after the Harare Magistrates Court dismissed an application for exception filed by his company Pokugara Properties and its employees Michael John Van Blerk and Mandla Marlone Ndebele.

Sharpe’s company and its employees faces malicious damage to property charges after they connived with City of Harare officials to destroy a show house built by Harare developer George Katsimberis at the Corner Teviotdale and Whitwell Road in Borrowdale.

Pokugara, Van Blerk and Ndebele’s represented Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara had argued that the charges against are meant to embarrass them as the property in question was at the behest of the City of Harare when he submitted his application for exception in the matter in which a Harare developer, George Katsimberis is a witness.

In dismissing the application, Magistrate Chakanyuka said the issues raised by the defense counsel are triable and ought to be ventilated in the form of a trial with the State leading evidence.

The State represented by prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga from the Special Anti-Corruption Unit alleges that sometime between July 2018 and October 2018, at lot 9 of 21 on consolidated number 19559 of 19828 on Harare Township corner Teviotdale and Whitwell in Borrowdale, Mandla Marlone Ndebele, Isiah Zvenyika Chawatama, Samuel Nyabezi, Lasten Taonezvi and Ken Sharpe who is still at large destroyed a show house constructed by Harare business George Katsimberis without a court order.

Trial was postponed due to the unavailability of lawyer Charles Kwaramba who is representing the City of Harare and its employees