CONTROVERSIAL property developer George Katsimberis has been issued with a warrant of arrest by a Harare magistrate after he failed to appear in court for a fraud trial. The matter has been dragging on for the past three years with Katsimberis making several applications including to the Constitutional Court, arguing that he is not getting fair trial.
His lawyer Tino Chinyoka told the court that his client was admitted to hospital and he tendered the letter from the medical doctor. However, Deputy Prosecutor-General Michael Reza insisted on the issuance of a warrant of arrest as per court rules as the accused had defaulted.
Chinyoka then asked the court that his client be issued an administrative warrant. But magistrate Vongai Guwuriro argued that there was nothing called an administrative warrant. The matter was deferred to Monday for trial continuation.
Last week, the magistrate suggested that the matter be heard on Saturdays after observing that it was moving at a snail’s pace. Katsembiris is facing allegations of duping fellow property developer of close to US$1 million in a joint venture to build cluster houses in Borrowdale, Harare.
Source Newsday
