State refuses to be compelled to the witness stand

Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent

Deputy prosecutor-general Mr Michael Reza has refused to go to the witness stand for cross-examination in George Katsimberis’s application for referral to the Constitutional Court.

This was after Katsimberis’s lawyer advocate Tinomudaishe Chinyoka said he wanted the court to compel Mr Reza to the witness stand for cross-examination in his client’s application.

Mr Reza refused saying the defence wishes to pursue an improper route.

“I’m an officer of the court and everything that I said in this trial is consistent with my role as a prosecutor. The defence once said the State was petty and I did not call him to the witness stand to testify,” he said.

Mr Reza said Advocate Chinyoka once raised these issues before and they were dealt with at that time.

“The defence wants to bring drama into this honourable court by latching on a straw,” he said.

Mr Reza further submitted that if he had done something outrageous in this trial, the magistrate and the judge would have reprimanded him.

“My position is correct at law that I cannot be compelled to be a witness in a matter in which I’m the prosecutor,” he said.

During the last sitting Mr Reza put it to Katsimberis that his request for a Greek interpreter was just meant to annoy the court.

Katsimberis is accused of building a showroom in Borrowdale without an approved building plan resulting in the showroom being demolished.

Mr Reza said Katsimberis had so far testified in three cases at the Harare Magistrate Court in English language.

He said Katsimberis initially pleaded using English before Harare magistrate Mrs Letween Rwodzi but went on to seek the services of a Greek interpreter when the case was taken over by Mrs Vongai Guwuriro.