By Agencies
THE Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has dismissed an application filed by property developer George Katsimberis who was seeking the court to declare his trial at the lower courts unfair, where he is facing a fraud charge involving US$1 million.
Katsimberis allegedly caused WestProp to build a showroom in a joint venture agreement without an approved building plan.
During the course of the trial, Katsimberis applied for referral to the Constitutional Court saying his constitutional rights were being infringed.
He filed several court applications resulting in the State accusing him of using delaying tactics. He also requested a Greek interpreter in the middle of his trial saying he does not understand English.
The State opposed the application arguing that Katsimberis was wasting the court’s time after noting that three cases were closed where he testified in English.
He also filed several applications for recusal of magistrates and prosecutors which were dismissed.
Katsimberis filed an application for then prosecutor Michael Reza, who is now the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson, to testify in the case he was prosecuting and the court dismissed it.
He took the magistrate’s decision for review to the High Court and he lost the application on May 17 this year.
Katsimberis then approached the Supreme Court appealing the High Court decision. The appeal was dismissed on September 10.
Aggrieved, he applied for direct access to the ConCourt alleging that the Supreme Court had violated his fundamental rights by dismissing his appeal.
The application was dismissed this week.
