THE two Harare businessmen accused of erecting an illegal billboard in Borrowdale denigrating a property developing company will get to know their fate on September 18.
The accused had indicated at their last court appearance that they would apply for exception but their lawyers had not yet done so by the time of going to court today, hence the postponement of the matter.
The accused, Mark Strathen of Paragon Printers and Grant Russell of Fairclot Investments, are represented by Gwinyai Mharapara and Tafara Danana.
The lawyers apologized to court for failing to file on time saying their secretary had submitted the application at the wrong court.
Magistrate Sharon Rakafa gave them the benefit of doubt and postponed the matter to September 18 for ruling.
The matter has been on the court roll since 2021 owing to several postponements.
It is the State’s case that on December 10, 2020 at around 2pm on the opposite side of Celebration Church in Borrowdale, Harare, the accused persons erected a billboard with damaging information on WestProperties in a bid to tarnish the latter’s image.
It was alleged that Russell and Strathen caused false alarm to the public through the information which was written on the billboard.
- Illegal Borrowdale billboard: Trial deferred to May 9
- lllegal billboard ruling deferred to September 18
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The State alleges that the billboard erected by the two had contents which were likely to interfere with the ordinary comfort or convinience of the complainant’s clients.
The complainant made a report to the police, leading to their arrest.
