Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter
The Constitutional Court has dismissed an application by property developer George Katsimberis, who sought the declaration of his trial at the lower court as unfair.
Katsimberis is being accused of fraud involving a US$1 million joint venture.
He is facing fraud allegations after allegedly building a showroom in a joint venture agreement without an approved building plan.
During trial at the lower court, Katsimberis made an application for referral to the Constitutional Court, saying some of his constitutional rights were being infringed.
He had filed several court applications which the State viewed as delaying tactics.
Katsimberis made an application requesting a Greek interpreter in the middle of his trial, saying he could not understand English.
This was opposed by the State which noted that three other cases had been closed where he testified using English.
Katsimberis also filed several applications calling for recusal of several magistrates and prosecutors, but they were dismissed.
He once applied for the then prosecutor in his case, Mr Michael Reza, who is now the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson, to testify in the case, but the court dismissed that as well.
He took the decision of the magistrate for review to the High Court and he lost the application on May 17 this year.
Katsimberis then approached the Supreme Court appealing against the High Court decision and the case was dismissed on September 10.
The aggrieved Katsimberis then applied for direct access to the Constitutional Court, alleging that the Supreme Court had violated his fundamental rights in dismissing his appeal.
The application was dismissed by the Constitutional Court on Monday this week.
Online Reporter