admin
Court Reporter
The trial of two Harare men who are facing allegations of erecting a billboard in Borrowdale denigrating a property developing company has been deferred to Monday next week after the dismissal of their application for exception.
Mark Strathen of Paragon Printers and Grant Russell of Fairclot Investments are facing criminal nuisance charges.
The pair’s defence today asked for a postponement saying they are appearing at the High Court.
The matter has been on roll since 2021 owing to several postponements by the accused persons.
State prosecutor Shambadzeni Fungura is on record accusing the accused persons of using delaying tactics to derail the trial.
Allegations are that on December 10, 2020, the accused persons erected a billboard with damaging information on a property developing company in a bid to tarnish its image.
The complainant made a police report, leading to the two’s arrest.
It is the State’s case that Russell and Strathen caused false alarm through the information that was written on the billboard.
The State said the billboard’s content was likely to interfere with the ordinary comfort or convenience of the complainant’s clients.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter