Controversial firm, Augur Investment’s chief operations officer Tatiana Aleshina is perjuring herself in the US$205 million Pomona land saga, which is before the courts.
Recent court affidavits revealed that the Russian lady was untruthful in a sworn affidavit that the land in question went through Parliament, Treasury and approved by Cabinet saying the deal was granted National Project Status.
Outspoken Harare North Legislator Norman Markham is pushing reversal of the State land measuring 2 730 000 square meters allegedly stolen through shaddy deals by justice fugitive Kenneth Raydon Sharpe well known as Ken Sharpe through City of Harare and Augur Investments.
The court affidavit filed by Markham dated May 19th 2021 under case number HC425/2021 says Tatiana Aleshina lied in a sworn affidavit that the land in question went through Parliament, the Ministry of Finance and approved by Cabinet saying the deal was granted National Project status.
“The joint venture agreement establishing Sunshine Development was a fraud, it is the subject of separate litigation before this honorable court.
“It is also a fiction that the Sunshine joint venture, received a Parliamentary approval. That is wrong and Tatiana Aleshina is perjuring herself. Cabinet was never involved in this matter and would never be given approval. The project was never granted a national project status. The later dated 5th of May 2009 to the respondent’s papers in a fraud,” reads the affidavit.
“The Secretary for Local Government does not write a letter to the Minister of Local Government. The two communicate through internal memos. Besides Secretary for Local Government, is the chief communicator of the Ministry. He cannot write a letter to himself. The later is fraud.”
Aleshina also said under oath that they have gone through Ministry of Finance as putting bogus names in her letter.
“The later dated 29th of April 2009 purportedly from the Minister of Finance is also a fraud, I will be making reports to the Police, the NPA and SACU. the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance at the time was Mr Willard Manungo. There is no one as M. Madondo, the Minister at the time was Honourable Tendai Biti , he is the one who would have taken this matter to Cabinet for approval , he is the one that administered the Customs and Excise Act. At no stage did he provide as Treasury, the approval in terms of section 140 and 141 of the Customs and Excise Act.
The Respondent’s (Tatiana Aleshina) actions are quite simply unbelievable, as I indicated above, I will be forwarding a complaint to the Ant Corruption Commission and the Zimbawe Republic Police”, reads Markham’s affidavit.
“The agreement was not a public private partnership. Furthermore it was not approved by Cabinet.That is not true. There was no Cabinet after the election of the 28th of March 2008.The first Cabinet meeting would only be held after the conclusion of the Government of National Unity on the 17th of February 2009. There was never any time during the Government of National Unity that the 1st Responded (Augur Investments) Agreement was discussed by Cabinet.
That’s not true, if there was any Cabinet approval then respondent should produce the relevant minutes and proof thereof,” says Markham.
Aleshina and Sharpe are yet to respond.