Illegal billboard trial opens today

Prosper Dembedza, Herald Correspondent

THE trial on public nuisance charges of two men from Borrowdale suburb in Harare who erected a billboard denouncing a property development company, is set to open at the Harare Magistrates Court today.

There have been numerous postponements of the trial of Mark Strathen of Paragon Printers and Grant Russell of Fairclot Investments, the latest being last week when their trial hit a brick wall and was postponed after their new lawyer Mr Gwinyai Mharapara took over from Mr Tendai Biti.

Mr Biti dumped the duo after his application for another postponement was declined.

The new lawyer had applied for a postponement to get a transcribed record so that he could be fully appraised of the matter before trial, but the State led by Mrs Shambadzeni Fungura opposed the application, saying the accused had asked for the transcript when they approached the High Court and Supreme Court.

She said as a result, Strathen and Russel should give the transcript to their lawyer since they had it.

Mrs Fungura said she was ready for trial, with witnesses coming to court religiously but had been prejudiced by the postponements.

Magistrate Mrs Sharon Rakafa dismissed the application by Strathen and Russel saying the matter has been on the roll since 2021. Mr Mharapara then renounced agency.

The duo asked for a postponement of the matter indicating they needed to look for a new lawyer to represent them. The Supreme Court recently dismissed their appeal and ordered the case to proceed to trial.