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Court Correspondent
The trial of former Pokugara Properties general manager Mr Michael John Van Blerk on perjury charges continued yesterday with State witness, Mr George Katsimberis giving evidence.
Katsimberis is also complainant in the matter and admitted through cross-examination by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara that he built a house without Harare City Council approved plans.
Adv Zhuwarara told the court that in his founding affidavit, Katsimberis alleges that Van Blerk lied under oath that he built the showroom without approved plans.
Asked by Adv Zhuwara whether the plans he used to construct the house were approved by the City of Harare, Katsimberis said they were not.
Advocate Zhuwarara told the court that there were no eligible official stamps on Katsimberis’s plans.
He said the stamp on Katsimberis’s so-called approved plan is not readable and unclear.
Adv Zhuwarara said the City of Harare, in its notice of opposition, maintains the position that they did not approve the plans used to construct the house.
Responding to a question on whether Van Blerk was cited on the face of his application, Katsimberis said no.
Katsimberis also confirmed not mentioning Van Blerk and not making any personal allegations against him.
He also confirmed that the City of Harare filed a notice of opposition, responding to his urgent Chamber application but did not write an answering affidavit.
Van Blerk is facing perjury charges for allegedly lying in a sworn affidavit that he filed in a High Court case where he was the complainant representing Pokugara Properties.
He swore in his affidavit that the house constructed by Katsimberis was built without an approved plan from the City of Harare.
When Katsimberis was questioned by the lawyer what fraud charges he was facing, he refused to tell the court, to which the magistrate said it would be recorded that is what he said.
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