Former city council boss’ case further remanded

Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent

A Harare magistrate has remanded former City of Harare chief building inspector Roy Nyabvure who is facing criminal abuse of duty charges to June 6.

Investigations established that Nyabvure (64) unprocedurally signed a building plan for George Katsimberis which was used to build a showroom which was later demolished by the City of Harare.

In opposing bail, the State led by Mr Lancelotte Mutsokoti in January called its witness the investigating officer Detective Evans Bota who told the court that Nyabvure was not a proper candidate for bail as he is a flight risk.

The detective also submitted that Nyabvure supplied them two fake addresses. Bota told the court that Nyabvure was not a suitable candidate for as he is a man of no fixed aboard. He further submitted to the court that he had already initiated a process to involve media publications of the accused as a wanted person. However, Nyabvure’s lawyer told the court that his client was a man of fixed abode and that the reason he was not surrendering to the police was because he was a witness in another similar matter.

Allegations are that on February 23, 2017 and in the course and scope of his duties as chief building inspector, Nyabvure unprocedurally approved a building plan for stand number 19559 Harare Township otherwise known as 19559 Corner Teviotdale and Whitwell Road which had been submitted directly to him at Cleveland House by George Katsimberis, who was a constructing partner at one of Pokugara Properties (Pvt) Ltd sites. It is alleged that Katsimberis went on to present the approved plan to Pokugara Properties, misrepresenting that it had been duly approved.

Acting on this misrepresentation, Pokugara Properties went on to sanction the building of a house on the said stand. It is alleged after the completion of the building, Pokugara Properties was served with a notice of demolition from City of Harare citing that the building had to be demolished because it was erected without an approved plan and had been built with material not approved by City of Harare. The building was demolished thereafter.