News / National
Van Blerk has no hatred for Tendai Biti
11 Jul 2023 at 07:41hrs | Views
FORMER Pokugara Properties general manager Michael van Blerk yesterday said he has no hatred for Citizens Coalition for Change vice-president Tendai Biti.
Van Blerk was responding to a question posed by deputy prosecutor general Michael Reza, who asked him if his testimony against Biti was the truth.
Biti is accused of verbally assaulting a local businesswoman Tatiana Aleshina.
Van Blerk told the court that he had to jump in between Biti and Aleshina fearing that Biti could physically harm her.
"I was not facing the accused, but I reacted to the shouting and I turned and saw the accused advancing towards Aleshina and I thought she was under threat and I moved in between. He was shaking and pointing his forefinger, that is why I believed she is (in) danger," Van Blerk told the court.
Reza asked Van Blerk to respond to allegations that Aleshina was angry and advanced towards Biti and he said, to the contrary, she was happy because she had received a message of an important case she had won at the High Court.
"We had received the outcome of the case at High Court between Pokugara Properties and George Katsimberis that we had won and the news had reached us at approximately 10:30am in the middle of the proceedings," Van Blerk said.
"I regret the defence counsel said I hate Biti, but I have no hatred for the accused. It is not true also that Aleshina was angry."
Van Blerk also said he did not spend four hours at the prosecutor's office as alleged.
After his testimony, the State notified the court that it would summon the fourth witness to testify, a doctor at Trauma Centre where Aleshina received treatment.
Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro postponed the matter to Wednesday for trial continuation.
Van Blerk was responding to a question posed by deputy prosecutor general Michael Reza, who asked him if his testimony against Biti was the truth.
Biti is accused of verbally assaulting a local businesswoman Tatiana Aleshina.
Van Blerk told the court that he had to jump in between Biti and Aleshina fearing that Biti could physically harm her.
"I was not facing the accused, but I reacted to the shouting and I turned and saw the accused advancing towards Aleshina and I thought she was under threat and I moved in between. He was shaking and pointing his forefinger, that is why I believed she is (in) danger," Van Blerk told the court.
"We had received the outcome of the case at High Court between Pokugara Properties and George Katsimberis that we had won and the news had reached us at approximately 10:30am in the middle of the proceedings," Van Blerk said.
"I regret the defence counsel said I hate Biti, but I have no hatred for the accused. It is not true also that Aleshina was angry."
Van Blerk also said he did not spend four hours at the prosecutor's office as alleged.
After his testimony, the State notified the court that it would summon the fourth witness to testify, a doctor at Trauma Centre where Aleshina received treatment.
Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro postponed the matter to Wednesday for trial continuation.
Source - newsday
