Conveyance expert needed in Biti clerk’s perjury trial

Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent

The perjury trial of a legal clerk, Constantine Chaza, accused of filing false statements under oath at the High Court in a civil case was deferred to October 7 awaiting an expert in conveyancing to testify as a State witness.

The conveyancing expert is expected to explain the procedure that must be followed when property is being sold.

Chaza, who was a clerk at Tendai Biti’s law firm at the time of the civil disputes, is facing allegations of filing a false statement under oath at the High Court and is facing new fraud charges in another court.

He is on $5 000 bail on the perjury case.

The court heard that on February 22, 2019 Chaza made a statement under oath and filed it at the High Court.

In this affidavit, Chaza lied that the transfer of 4 Ridgeway North in Highlands to Tendai Mashamanda was as a result of a deed donation.

Chaza also lied that no capital gains tax was paid to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, and that lawyer Mr Puwayi Chiutsi rather than Ms Jacqueline Sande, the conveyancer in the matter, personally attended to the transfer of the property into Mr Mashamhanda’s name.

The court heard that the transfer of the property into Mr Mashamhanda’s name started in January 25, 2019 and was complete in February 8, 2019.

A Capital Gains Clearance certificate was issued on February 7, 2019 and records show that Ms Sande of Sande Legal Practice was the conveyancer.