BY STAFF REPORTER PROPERTY developer George Katsimberis who is accusing Pokugara Properties former managing Director Michael Van Blerk of perjury has shifted blame to his engineer for having a building plan which was proved to have been fraudulently acquired.
Van Blerk denied the perjury allegations levelled against him when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna yesterday.
Katsimberis was testifying under cross examination by Van Blerk’s lawyer Tawanda Zhuwarara who asked him if he was the one who went to the Cleveland Council house to get the building plan approved.
Katsimberis admitted that he sent his engineer to Cleveland house to get the building plan of cluster houses for construction in Borrowdale.
“My engineer went to Cleveland to get the building plan stamped and approved,” Katsimberis said.
Katsimberis was asked if he had any proof apart from the receipts that his building plans were approved at Cleveland but said he had none.
“So your engineer is the one who told you he submitted the plan at Cleveland house,”Zhuwarara asked.
“Yes,” Katsimberis replied.
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Zhuwarara further told him that the building plan that he relied on was for a stand number 10, and not number 9 which he is insisting on in court..
Katsimberis insisted that it was number 9 and blamed his engineer for the blunder.
Van Blerk is denying the perjury allegations saying the charges are contrived and calculated to embarrass him.
The state represented by Zivanai Macharaga had alleged that Van Blerk in his personal capacity and representing Pokugara Properties filed a false written statement and lied in a sworn affidavit that a show house constructed by land developer Katsimberis was built without approved building plans from the City of Harare.
The showroom in question was constructed by Katsimberis under a joint venture deal with Pokugara Properties.
Nduna postponed the matter to April 28 for trial continuation.
