By A Correspondent| Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko will on 22 February preside over the trial of Pokugara Properties and its Managing Director Michael John Van Blerk who are facing charges of malicious damage to property.
This follows countless false starts to the trial as both Pokugara and Van Blerk made endless excuses to stall trial. At one point, Van Blerk claimed to have fallen off a horse while at another instance he produced a report that he was suffering from catatonic seizure but was declared fit to stand trial by government doctors at the request of the state.
On Thursday, Van Blerk and Pokugara’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara missed court while attending to another matter at the High Court, forcing Magistrate Mateko to postpone the matter to 22 February for commencement of trial.
The trial is expected to expose Sharpe’s fraudulent pullout of a joint venture agreement with Harare businessman George Katsimberis who has been seeking justice for the prejudice he suffered at the hands of the exiled businessman.
The State led by 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, Isaiah Zvenyika Chawatama, Samuel Nyabezi and Lasten Taonezvi destroyed a show house constructed by Harare business George Katsimberis without a court order.
The accused allegedly acted in common purpose and demolished Katsimberis’ Show house which had an approved plan without advising the complainant. They allege that Katsimberis constructed the show house without approved architectural plans despite evidence that the plans were approved at City of Harare’s Cleveland house with all the necessary payments effected.
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 its managing director Michael John Van Blerk are also facing perjury charges after deposing an affidavit under case HC8943/18 in which they are alleged to have lied that the show house was built without approved building plans from the City of Harare.