By A Correspondent- Former Harare City Council (HCC) employee Roy Nyabvure was yesterday exposed as having caused the demolition of a showroom in Borrowdale after fraudulently approving its building plans.

The court heard that Nyabvure was later dismissed from work after the fraudulent plan was discovered.

Nyabvure is a State witness in the case former Pokugara Properties general manager Michael van Blerk is accused of perjury.

Yesterday, Nyabvure was testifying against Van Blerk, who is accused of deposing an affidavit at the High Court stating that the plan used to build the house was fraudulent.

The complainant, George Katsimberis, is accusing Van Blerk and Pokugara of demolishing the showroom he built under a joint venture agreement with Pokugara.

While under cross-examination, Nyabvure was asked by Van Blerk’s lawyer, Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, if he was the one who signed the alleged building plan and he responded “yes”.

Zhuwarara gave Nyabvure a letter which was written by HCC acting chamber secretary Charles Kandemiri confirming that the said plan did not follow laid-down procedures when it was approved. The letter was read in court saying the plan did not follow circulation procedures for it to be approved.

Nyabvure admitted that the plans submitted in court as evidence did not follow circulation procedures.

He, however, insisted that the plans were correctly approved.

Zhuwarara told Nyabvure that he signed the plan before it circulated to different offices for approval, and that by testifying in court, he was trying to defend his fraudulent approval.

“Although the stamps were authentic, the procedure was not followed. So you put your signature on a plan that was not circulated and you are here to defend your fraudulent approval. Signing the plan resulted in the house built without proper documentation demolished,” Zhuwarara said.

“Do you have evidence that the plan you approved circulated before you signed it?” Zhuwarara asked.

“I do not keep records,” Nyabvure replied.

Another letter from the council’s housing director Chawatama notifying Pokugara of the impending demolish of the showroom was produced by Zhuwarara and read in court.

Another letter directed to the police, who were investigating a fraud matter against the complainant, was also produced in court.

Magistrate Ngoni Nduna postponed the matter to August 30 for continuation of trial.

-newsday