The State has accused opposition official Tendai Biti of having preconceived plans to verbally assault local businesswoman Tatiana Aleshina after losing a High Court case to the complainant's company, Pokugara Properties.
Biti is being accused of verbally assaulting Aleshina at the Harare Magistrates Court in 2020, soon after receiving news that the High Court had dismissed an application where his client George Katsimberis was seeking an interdict order against the complainant's company.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Michael Reza made the claim on Thursday saying the opposition member had submitted several complaints against Aleshina and her companies in an assault trial and the State was convinced that was the reason why he verbally assaulted her at the Harare Magistrates Court in 2020.
Biti, however, denied the charge saying when the alleged verbal assault happened, he had never interacted with the complainant but only knew her as a "white lady" in court.
The opposition member said this during cross-examination on his defence in the verbal assault trial where he was taken to task over his claims of being a victim of biased media coverage.
Biti said his cases were being politicized by the media and politicians, particularly Zanu PF secretary for finance Patrick Chinamasa whom he accused of being malicious.
Reza submitted several newspaper articles on Biti's case and challenged him to prove that the reports were false. The former Finance minister said although the stories were factually correct as far as their interpretation of court proceedings, his only concern was that they portrayed him as a perpetrator of gender-based violence.
When Reza put it to him that media reports do not influence court decisions, Biti insisted that at times they did.
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The prosecutor told Biti that it was clear that he vented his anger on the complainant after his client Katsimberis had lost an important case at the High Court which ruled in the complainant's company's favour. The State has often accused Biti of making "several frivolous" applications to delay the trial.
The trial continues Friday.
