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Kereke accuse Gono

by Fungai Lupande
05 Apr 2016 at 06:31hrs | Views
ZANU-PF Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke yesterday accused former Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono of maliciously fabricating rape charges against him to cover up his multimillion- dollar fraud at the bank.

Kereke is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2010 and indecently assaulting her sister who was 15 years at that time.

Giving evidence in his defence case, Kereke said Dr Gono and an RBZ official, Mirirai Chiremba, were involved in serious criminal activities.

"In 2008, two external auditing companies, BDO Kudenga and KPMG, picked that a total of $8 379 900 have been taken out of RBZ," he said.

"I summoned Chiremba to my office and he agreed that $4,5 million was given to Dr Gono while $3,5 million was given to a senior member of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). KMPG auditors also discovered that in 2008 and 2009, various amounts of money in foreign currency were taken out of the bank as Dr Gono's travel expenses.

"In July 22, R1,8 million was siphoned from the central bank. In November 29 the same year R3,4 million was also taken out of the bank."

Kereke added that in April 2010, $200 000 belonging to Homelink (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of RBZ, was taken out of CBZ Bank account number 01122087470013.

"The money was given to the Financial Gazette, where Gono and a senior CIO boss are directors," he said.

"On January 18, 2012 I made a follow up to one J. Chisese, who collected the money and two days later I was blocked from the Reserve Bank."

Kereke's lawyer, Erum Mutandiro, intended to produce the documents of the alleged fraud by Dr Gono, Mr Chiremba and their accomplices but the private prosecutor Mr Charles Warara, objected.

"We don't know if he didn't steal the documents, he surfaces in the streets with photocopies of documents which we don't know if they were officially obtained," said Mr Warara.

"Accused is not appearing in this court as an official, Chiremba came to testify and he did not ask him all this. He cannot defend himself by smearing others. The people he is mentioning are not in court and cannot respond to his alleg- ations."

Magistrate Mr Noel Mupeiwa ruled that only public documents certified by the ministry, its head of department or office or produced in court by an authorised person can be admitted as evidence. Kereke told the court that he was a parent to girl children and believed that rapists should be punished.

"I am a Christian and attend Johanne Marange apostolic sect. Both counts are fiction and a creation of events that never happened. In March when it is alleged I kissed one of the girls and fondled her breast, I had travelled to United States of America via South Africa and returned in June."

Kereke produced photocopies of his passport to the court but Mr Warara said he needed time to analyse it.

Source - the herald