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Kaukonde sucked in fight over Airport Road land

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THE trial of Harare businessman Craig John William Danckwerts, who allegedly sold 300 hectares of land to Chemist Siziba failed to start yesterday.

THE trial of Harare businessman Craig John William Danckwerts, who allegedly sold 300 hectares of land to Chemist Siziba before filing fraudulent forms at the Registrar of Deeds offices purporting to be still owner of the land, failed to start yesterday after the docket was referred back to Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana’s Office for review.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

This was after Danckwerts had raised concern over the manner in which the case was being handled.

Presiding magistrate Sandra Mupindu remanded the matter to February 11 after Danckwerts complained that the State was treating him as a suspect and yet he was the first to report Siziba as having stolen his property.

The court heard that Danckwerts, who allegedly purported to be a co-director of the properties together with Mashonaland East Zanu PF provincial chairperson Ray Kaukonde and others, said the circumstances of the complainants’ case were similar to those of his, although he was the first one to report the matter in December last year.

The matter was remanded with the consent of prosecutor Michael Reza and defence counsel Tafadzwa Hungwe.

Allegations are that after concluding the property transfer deal with Siziba, Danckwerts later caused the former’s arrest accusing him of stealing his property.

The land in question, located near Harare International Airport, is identified in court documents as Lots 4 and 5 of Arlington Estate measuring 200,0347 and 104,0809 hectares respectively.

The State alleges that sometime in December 1998, Siziba, through his firm Hawkhope Investments purchased the entire share capital of Danckwerts’ two firms trading as Nyland Enterprises and Great-Insight Investments. Both firms fell under Danckwerts’ holding company Danbro Holdings.

On August 25, 1999, it is alleged Danckwerts, together with one Paul Rijk Peacey, resigned as directors of the two firms leading to Siziba, together with Margret Siziba and Bernadette Sekai Veteranwa, assuming control of the two firms as the new directors.

However, sometime between 2011 and 2012, Danckwerts turned against Siziba and caused his arrest accusing him of stealing his firms. But police investigations revealed that Danckwerts had allegedly submitted a fraudulent form to the Registrar of Companies between February 2011 and May 2012 purporting to be still a director of the firms at the centre of the controversy.