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Court Correspondent

The chief witness in the fraud case of George Katsimberis, Mr Micheal Van Blerk, today told the court that his former company did not know that GK Enterprises was not a registered entity at the time they signed a contract with him.

Responding to a question from Katsimberis’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Kanengoni on whether they suffered any financial prejudice as a result of the accused’s actions, Van Blerk said financially they did not, but they suffered prejudice in terms of time as they thought they were dealing with a registered entity for those years.

Van Blerk said this during cross-examination with Advocate Kanengoni.

Responding to a question whether Katsimberis signed an agreement with Pokugara Properties on his own behalf or as his company’s representative, Van Blerk said his company did not commit any offence and should be left out of this trial.

Van Blerk further stated that Katsimberis misrepresented facts in a fraudulent manner.

During the time evidence was being led by senior prosecutor Mr Michael Reza, Van Blerk who was Pokugara Properties general manager at the time when the offence was committed, said Katsimberis used plans that were not approved by the City of Harare to build a showroom.

He said that Katsimberis showed them a fake approved plan which they later discovered after they received a demolition letter from City of Harare.

“We believed that the accused had City of Harare approved plans. The City of Harare wrote to us telling us that they had not approved any plans. But the accused had shown us plans which he claimed were approved by them,” said Van Blerk.

He told the court that they had a joint venture with Katsimberis to develop land owned by Pokugara Properties.

He said it was not a sale agreement as the land belonged to Pokugara Properties.