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Kereke’s lawsuit against Gono deferred

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A HIGH Court case in which Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is accusing former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono of fraudulently withdrawing

A HIGH Court case in which Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is accusing former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono of fraudulently withdrawing $100 000 from his bank account failed to kick off yesterday because the applicant’s lawyer had other commitments.

BY SENIOR COURT REPORTER

Kereke’s lawyer, Advocate Lewis Uriri, said he had other commitments at the Supreme Court.

Kereke, Gono’s former advisor, is claiming over $2 million in damages from his former boss, alleging the fraudulent withdrawal of the cash had constrained his business transactions resulting in failure to pay taxes.

High Court judge Justice Happious Zhou postponed the matter indefinitely.

According to court papers filed by Kereke in 2012, Gono is alleged to have withdrawn $100 000 from Kereke’s Renaissance Merchant Bank (RMB) account without his consent.

As a result, Kereke argues, he was left with no cash to complete refurbishment of his Rock Foundation Medical Centre Hospital on time.

In the summons, Gono, RMB and a construction firm Dhobhadhobha Construction are cited as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.

The hospital is now claiming $463 000 it paid for Zimra penalties for failing to pay its obligations in time.

It also wants $972 000 for loss of business as a result of delays in renovations and $864 000 for loss of income owing to the delay in construction of two theatres. The centre is claiming a further $200 000 for damages suffered as a result of labour disputes and diminished morale among workers due to late payment of salaries and wages.

In response to the claim, the cited respondents said they paid Kereke what was due to him.

“The repayment was made on August 18 2010 and interest for the 19-day period was $1 457, 53. They will say that subsequent to this, Kereke left the RBZ and is involved in a public, acrimonious and volatile ‘fallout’ with Gono, in respect of which numerous allegations have been made, one against the other,” the respondents said.