Staff Reporter
Harare North Legislator Allan Norman Markham has accused controversial businessman Kenneth Raydon Sharpe’s associate Tatiana Aleshina of affirming state capture in an ongoing High Court case.
Markham, together with two others, are seeking reversal of a ‘vague’ land deal between Harare City Council and the Sharpe-owned Augur Investments.
In his answering affidavit in the ongoing court challenge where he is seeking reversal of a secret land deal entered between Harare City Council and Augur Investments, Markham said Aleshina had extracted influence even from Government for the illegal acquisition of over 270 hectares of land in Harare’s Pomona suburb.
The land was granted to Augur Investments as payment to work done on the construction of Harare Airport Road.
“One of the new forms of corruption is now known essentially as State Capture. This is the situation where private actors such as the 1st Respondent in case, manage to influence the State at multiple levels in order to obtain certain outcomes for certain benefits.
“The facts of the instant matter are sad. An agreement for the construction of the Harare Airport road was made between the City of Harare and the 1st Respondent. That agreement was negotiated under an illegal environment where a commission was created despite the fact that a few weeks after the election of March 2008 lawfully elected Councillors existed.
“What is shocking is that Augur Investments, through Tatiana Aleshina, has unleashed the demon of State Capture and extracted so much influence even from the highest office in the land in ensuring this Deed of Settlement,” said Markham.
He said the statements made by Aleshina in her opposing affidavit were shocking and pointed to state capture.
“The disclosure naively made in paragraphs 72 – 75 of the 1st Respondent’s affidavit are shocking. In these paragraphs, Tatiana Aleshina on behalf of Augur Investments confesses that she was actively involved in pushing the Ministry of Local Government, its Minister and the Permanent Secretary, to actually visit the offices of the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“She makes the shocking disclosure that it was in this meeting with the Head of State that a settlement was ordered. A meeting which according to her was heard when court proceedings were taking place. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government then called officials from the City of Harare to force a settlement. What she is in fact saying is that she uses her influenced to extract a forced settlement on the City of Harare. This is State Capture,” he said.
Markham adds:
“She is therefore unfairly and mendaciously, name dropping and fingering innocent public officials none more important than the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. She is in fact saying to this Honourable Court that do not touch the Deed of Settlement. It was made at State House.
“Her demon of State Capture does not end there. The disclosures in paragraph 46 of her opposing affidavit are shocking. She claims that the Anti-Corruption Commission has cleared Augur Investments of any corruption. This is not correct and it cannot be correct.”