By staff reporter
Pokugara Properties, a company into property developing has accused Special Anti-Corruption Unit boss Thabani Mpofu and Tendai Biti of colluding with Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi to stop the prosecution of businessman Georgios Katsimberis who is accused of fraud.
Pokugara wrote a letter of complaint to Hodzi after the company received correspondence of communication through the court records between the three parties pleading to drop charges against Katsimberis.
In a letter addressed to Hodzi on April 21 this year, by Simbarashe Kadye who is representing the company, Pokugara Properties said some officials from Sacu boss has been delaying the process to seek justice and have been colluding with Katsimberis lawyer Tendai Biti to stop Katsimberis prosecution through excuses to start trial.
The letter to Hodzi was copied to Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, his permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza, chief secretary to the president Misheck Sibanda among others.
Katsimberis is being accused of presenting fake house plans that he used to construct a showhouse under Pokugara Properties land in Borrowdale.
“We wish to formally record our displeasure in the manner in which this matter is being handled. The trial of this matter was supposed to begin on April 15 after several postponement. The matter has on April 30 postponed again,” Pokugara Properties wrote.
“The State sought postponement of the matter to enable a round table between parties on this matter. We understand your position predicted on the Memorandum prepared by the Special Prosecution Unit. We have not been afforded the courtesy of this document. Given the role it has played in delaying the justice for the company we demand it be shared within two days of receipt of this letter, “Pokugara added.
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The company said this after receiving a letter dated 12 April through the court records and written by Biti to the regional Prosecutor Michael Reza indicating that Mpofu had consented to stopping the case of Katsimberis.
“On 9 March 2021, we received a letter addressed to the Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi in respect of Sacu in which they expressed its objection to the prosecution of our client (Katsimberis) him being a key witness in the case Sacu has against Augur Investments, Pokugara Properties among others, ” Biti wrote.
Pokugara Properties said in an effort to stop the prosecution of Katsimberis Sacu boss Mpofu, wrote a letter stamped on March 3 to the Prosecutor General Hodzi saying the prosecution of Katsimberis came as a shock to him.
“Our attention has been drawn to a case where a witness and complainant in a case in which Sacu is involved has been charged. This came as a shock to the Sacu,” Mpofu wrote to Hodzi.
Mpofu said Sacu is deeply concerned with the prosecution of Katsimberis.
Pokugara Properties said whilst they have not been furnished with reasons for interference in the matter the state have indicated that a round table be convened to first set the record straight.
They submitted that Katsimberis fraud trial must proceed since they reported him first to the police before he made a counter report to the police.
The company said Katsimberis was being protected by senior police officers who delayed bringing him to court.
Katsimberis went to the High Court on several occasions against Pokugara Properties but lost the cases before he proceeded to Supreme Court where he again lost the appeal.
It is alleged after losing the cases at the apex court Katsimberis reported Pokugara Properties general manager Michael Van Blerk to the police for fraud and Blerk was acquitted by magistrate Hosea Mujaya.
Pokugara Properties said if the round table meeting is to be convened they should furnish them with copy of the complaints made, copy of the Memorandum issued to Prosecutor General, agenda of the meeting and the details of who to attend the said meeting.
