Biti Accuses Ken Sharpe's Business Partner Tatiana Aleshina Of Abusing State Institutions Including OPC
Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has accused Kenneth ‘Ken’ Sharpe‘s business partner, Tatiana Aleshina, of abusing state institutions, including the Office of the President and judiciary, to protect her business interests and fight opponents.
Biti made the claims on Friday at the Harare magistrates’ courts where he wants his case of verbally assaulting the businesswoman Tatiana Aleshina referred to the Constitutional Court, according to NewsDay.
Biti, who is also the opposition Citizen Coalition for Change deputy leader, said:
In 2019 Van Blerk was prosecuted.
Sharpe and Sheremet were fugitives during the time. One of the prosecutors was Mr Michael Reza (acting deputy prosecutor general) and the matter was withdrawn due to the influence of Tatiana Aleshina.
It’s sad that the first issue I have is the clear blatant abuse of the Office of the President, the highest office in the land and this name calling is an abuse to the state institutions. How on earth is someone safe? That’s why my application is important.
These are judicial proceedings. Why are we politicising these proceedings? That’s a clear abuse of state institutions.
Only the National Prosecuting Authority has the power to withdraw any matters, not the Local Government ministry.
We are lucky that we have black-and-white evidence about the judicial and executive interference by the complainant.
Biti also said comments made by former Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana following his arrest showed that Aleshina wielded a lot of influence in top offices.
Some context:
Aleshina accused Biti of verbally assaulting her after a court appearance two years ago.
Biti said letters from Aleshina that form court records in a series of cases against Sharpe have exposed her links with the executive as well as her influence over the judiciary.
He also said Aleshina used her influence over the Office of the President and judiciary to secure a deed of settlement signed between Sharpe’s company, Augur Investments and Local Government minister July Moyo in 2019 that legalised the takeover of vast pieces of land in Harare.
Biti said the deed of the settlement also granted criminal immunity to Sharpe, Aleshina and their associates, Michael Van Blerk, and Alexander Sheremet, among others.
He said due to Aleshina’s influence, the Harare City Council was forced to withdraw criminal charges against Van Blerk.
Biti requested that the matter be referred to the Constitutional Court.
Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro postponed the case to December 15.
