Katsimberis fraud trial adjourned

THE fraud trial of George Katsimberis has been adjourned to February 29 following his urgent court application to stay proceedings pending another review application, challenging the magistrate’s decision to dismiss his original application to have prosecutor Mr Michael Reza testify as his witness.

The urgent chamber application for the review in the High Court is set for hearing on February 23 before Justice Munamato Mutevedzi.

During the previous sittings of the trial court, 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.

In his argument against delaying the trial until a Greek interpreter could be found, Mr Reza said Katsimberis had so far testified in three cases at the Harare Magistrate Court in the English language. He initially pleaded using English before Harare magistrate Mrs Letwin Rwodzi but went on to seek the services of a

Greek interpreter when the case was taken over by Mrs Vongai Guwuriro.

Mr Reza also accused George Katsimberis for forging a court record which he later submitted in court as the court transcript.

While cross examining Katsimberis on his application for referral to the Constitutional Court of the matter Mr Reza said the contents in the transcript which Katsimberis submitted to the court were forged. Mr Reza accused Katsimberis of submitted a manufactured document which had been submitted as a court transcript to scandalise the court.

“You created this document. There is nothing official in this document. You forged it and submitted it in court because you want to scandalise the court,” he said.

Mr Reza put it to Katsimberis that his rights were never infringed been in the present criminal trial saying all had been done above board and all the rules had been followed and nothing can be referred to the Constitutional Court.

On the other hand Katsimberis is insisting that he will not get a fair trial with Mr Reza prosecuting since Mr Reza was in the habit of infringing his constitutional rights.