State Prosecutor Michael Reza has come under fire over his prosecution of a matter involving land developer Georgios Katsimberis and controversial Pokugara Properties proprietor Kenneth Raydon Sharpe.
Reza together with another prosecutor Tafara Chirambira stand accused of supporting Pokugara Properties in the long running legal dispute in which Katsimberis is accused of constructing a show house without approved plans despite having the plans approved by the City of Harare.
In his answering affidavit deposed before the High Court, Katsimberis who is seeking for a review of Harare Magistrate Letwin Rwodzi’s ruling which dismissed his application for referral of his case to the Constitutional Court said Reza and Chirambira have been captured and therefore had failed the neutrality test.
“The prosecutors (particularly Michael Reza) are in fact hired guns, for Tatiana Aleshina, Kenneth Raydon Sharpe, Augur Investments OU and Pokugara Properties. They have in fact been captured by the same. They have lost all kinds of neutrality and objectivity.
“A public prosecutor must show restraint and candor. Mr Tafara Chirambira and indeed his principal have failed and failed in absolute terms. Tafara Chirambira has no knowledge of the facts. I submitted plans the City of Harare accepts that I submitted plans. I paid for their submission and I have receipts to prove that,” said Katsimberis
In his opposing affidavit, Chirambira insists that Katsimberis did not have approved plans for the show house however, Katsimberis says Chirambira’s response shows how subjective the State is.
Katsimberis also argues that Pokugara Properties and its managing director Michael Van Blerk and others are facing malicious damage to property charges that have been brought by the State yet Reza and Chirambira have already passed judgements.
“The State brought those charges. Yet individuals in this State in particular Chirambira and Michael Reza have the audacity of passing a verdict of not guilty against those persons without a trial. This more than anything else, shows why 1st Respondent (Magistrate Rwodzi) was wrong not to refer my matter to the Constitutional Court on the basis that the prosecution was malicious and unprofessional.”
