STAFF REPORTER
Deputy Prosecutor General Michael Reza has come out guns blazing accusing businessman George Katsimberis of being in the habit of bullying prosecutors through fabricating falsehoods.
This came out in Reza’s response to an application for his third recusal filed by Katsimberis last week.
Reza accused Katsimberis and his lawyers of making an application of his recusal in the matter without any references and was opposing it.
He said the case cited as part of their application was “hopelessly irrelevant.”
“As has become the norm in this case their applications are made without reference to any known statutory provisions. To their credit they have referred to a case law, Mupungu V Minister of Justice which unfortunately is hopelessly irrelevant,” Reza said.
He argued there was no need for the defence to push for recusal of a prosecutor in a matter and likening his role to that of a Judge or Magistrate.
“Their decisions have different effects in a case in court, for example it is not the prosecutor who will find the accused guilty or not guilty. It is not the judge or magistrate who will put the charge or withdraw the
charge to an accused.”
Reza accused Katsimberis and his defence team of “scrapping the bottom of the barrel” by questioning
why he was involved in all cases involving Pokugara Properties, Tatiana Aleshina or Kenneth Raydon
Sharpe against the complainant.
He said this was so because the accused person, Katsimberis, in some cases has bullied prosecutors.
“In their application in paragraph 5(a) they mention “four cases running concurrently”, add this current case and the case of S.V. Tendai Biti, making it six cases. Both counsel and his client are being melodramatic.
They both know that in this current trial I am only prosecuting because the accused person has bullied off all prosecutors who have handled this case,” Reza said.
“The matter was initially being jointly prosecuted by Mr. E Zinyandu and Miss A Chogumaira.
The accused wrote a long letter of complaint falsely accusing the two prosecutors of impropriety. Despite
the fact that they had done nothing wrong. they recused themselves because they felt unsafe, “he added.
According to Reza, Katsimberis was in the habit of routinely bullying off prosecutors by either making
entirely false accusations against them or by threatening to cause their arrest or by actually making police
reports against them.
“To date the accused has made police reports against the following prosecutors, Mr. T. Chirambira, Mr.
- Muchemwa, Mr. R. Chikosha and Mr Chesa. All of these are prosecutors who have taken part
in his prosecution or deposed to affidavits against him. He has bullied off to his case the following
prosecutors, Mrs. T. Makiya, Ms. C. Mashingaidze. Mr. Zinyandu and Miss A Chogumaira.”
