CITY OFFICIALS NABBED
THREE top Harare City Council officials appeared in court yesterday facing charges of criminal abuse of duty.
Council's chief building inspector, Roy Nyabvure, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
The State said on February 23, 2017, Nyabvure illegally approved a building plan for a stand which had been submitted directly to him by George Katsimberis, who was a construction partner at the Pokugara Properties site.
This was contrary to the Council's procedures, which required that plans be submitted through respective district offices.
It is alleged that Katsimberis took the approved plan to Pokugara Properties, misrepresenting that it had been duly approved.
Pokugara Properties then sanctioned the building of a house on that particular stand.
However, after completion of the building, Pokugara Properties were served a demolition notice by Council, stating that it was erected without approval. The notice dated July 28, 2018, demanded that the property be demolished by August 30, the same year, and the company would be slapped with financial penalties.
The demolition caused serious reputational and administrative prejudice to the company.
It prompted the firm to embark on an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the approval of the plan.
Pokugara Properties inquired about the status of the plan and the Council informed them that the plan hadn't been legally approved.
Investigations revealed that Nyabyure had circumvented the procedure and approved the plan.
Council's director of Housing and director of Works, Addmore Nhekaire and Isiah Zvenyika Chawatama, also appeared in the same court on allegations they connived to corruptly sell a 4 376 square meter stand in Greystone Park to Timothy Myambo.
The stand was zoned as a public open space. But, they allegedly used their positions in Council to circumvent due procedure.
Shepherd Makonde appeared for the State.