Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
FORMER Member of Parliament for Mount Pleasant, Jason Pasade, on Tuesday accused Eastwind Trust owners Rodgers Pote and Trymore Arineshito, who are facing charges of contempt of court and carrying out development on an illegal settlement without approval, of trying to force the lower court to overturn a High Court order to evict them.
During cross-examination, Mr Pasade said the pair, through their defence, were trying to force the court to overturn a High Court ruling that evicted them.
He added that so far, the pair and their company had lost four cases of the same nature at the High Court.
The matter was deferred to May 13 for trial continuation.
During the previous sitting, Mr Pasade told the court that the two were disowned by Harare City Council’s director of Housing in an affidavit.
He said Arineshito and Pote were ordered by the High Court to vacate the premises, but they are not abiding by that order.
Mr Pasade produced an affidavit written by the city’s Director of Housing, Mr Addmore Nhekairo, in which he said he never allocated them any land.
He said he knew the accused persons not only in connection with this case but also as land barons at Melfort Farm, Ruwa.
Mr Pasade said in 2020, his company entered into an agreement to develop land on behalf of the Freedom Fighters Development Trust.
He said his company started to carry out developments. Roads were opened while most developments were already at an advanced stage.
However, the accused persons started illegally selling and allocating stands in the area. Mr Pasade’s company allegedly went to court and acquired a High Court order which gave it the authority to remove the illegally settled people.
However, the accused persons did not vacate the stands, contrary to the court order. It is the State’s case that on November 2023, the High Court issued a provisional order against Eastwind Trust.
After the order was granted, the accused were served by the Sheriff, but continued invading the area in violation of the order.
The complainant is Homegram Investments Limited, represented by Mr Pasade.
The post Former MP accuses suspected land barons of trying to overturn High Court order appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.