Two Harare men who erected an illegal billboard in Borrowdale, Harare, with information denigrating a property developing company will know their fate on December 8 following their application for removal from remand. Prosecutor Shambidzeni Fungura told the court that she has responded to the pair’s application.
Grant Russell and Mark Strathen were arrested in December 2020 on criminal nuisance charges. Fungura served their lawyer Tendai Biti with a copy of the State’s response. The State is opposing the application saying the case must go to trial. Russell and Strathen had their last application for review dismissed by the High Court.
The court heard that on December 10, 2020 at around 2pm at a place opposite Celebration Centre in Borrowdale, the accused persons erected a billboard with damaging information on West Properties in a bid to tarnish the latter’s image. It is the State’s case that Russell and Strathen caused false alarm to the public through the information which was written on the billboard.
The court heard that the billboard erected by the two had contents which were likely to interfere with ordinary comfort or convenience of the complainant’s clients. The complainant made a report to the police,leading to their arrest.
Source Newsday
