News / National
Gono hits back
28 Jun 2014 at 13:05hrs | Views
FORMER Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Dr Gideon Gono yesterday said his former adviser and Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke should stop tarnishing other people's images and personalising institutional issues.
Responding to Kereke's allegations that the former RBZ boss allegedly deducted tax $411 000 from his $1,3 million exit package, but never remitted it to Zimra, Gono said the legislator was ill-informed on developments at the central bank.
He said instead of creating imaginary scandals, Kereke should instead concentrate on "his pending matters" before the courts and endeavours to cleanse his name rather than "attempt to divert people's attention from real and genuine issues".
"Regarding the PAYE issue raised by my erstwhile former personal adviser, Dr Kereke, it's instructive to note that RBZ, not Gideon Gono, is funded by government.
"RBZ owes hundreds of individuals and institutions a lot of money which when government eventually funds the bank, it will pay monies that are due to the said institutions and individuals," Gono said.
"Trying to personalise institutional issues and present them as a scandal is in itself a scandal of unimaginable proportions whose real motive can only be to divert public attention from real and genuine issues the courts and publics are aware of which need my accuser to stand in the dock and cleanse himself of, and not to spend time misleading people."
He said Zimbabwe was a nation of simple people and should be spared "these theatrics".
"Kereke knows where to go in search of answers. There is a new governor at the bank who can assist him. Zimra knows where to go if there are any issues," said Gono.
"With respect to his having written everywhere trying to soil my name, all I can say is that writing to heaven and replacing Biblical facts with Satanic teachings is unlikely to earn anyone entry into the Lord's garden. The same principle applies to those excitable carriers of the message who do not take the basic precaution to verify facts about what they have been duped to carry. Facts remain facts and lies have short legs."
Kereke left the central bank in 2012 smiling after he was given a whopping $1,3 million in terminal benefits, but claims he got a total of $950 000 after deductions by the RBZ.
He wrote to Zimra, the police and Prosecutor-General on Thursday alleging that his Rock Foundation Medical Centre Hospital was penalised after Gono failed to remit the tax deductions to the revenue authority.
Responding to Kereke's allegations that the former RBZ boss allegedly deducted tax $411 000 from his $1,3 million exit package, but never remitted it to Zimra, Gono said the legislator was ill-informed on developments at the central bank.
He said instead of creating imaginary scandals, Kereke should instead concentrate on "his pending matters" before the courts and endeavours to cleanse his name rather than "attempt to divert people's attention from real and genuine issues".
"Regarding the PAYE issue raised by my erstwhile former personal adviser, Dr Kereke, it's instructive to note that RBZ, not Gideon Gono, is funded by government.
"RBZ owes hundreds of individuals and institutions a lot of money which when government eventually funds the bank, it will pay monies that are due to the said institutions and individuals," Gono said.
He said Zimbabwe was a nation of simple people and should be spared "these theatrics".
"Kereke knows where to go in search of answers. There is a new governor at the bank who can assist him. Zimra knows where to go if there are any issues," said Gono.
"With respect to his having written everywhere trying to soil my name, all I can say is that writing to heaven and replacing Biblical facts with Satanic teachings is unlikely to earn anyone entry into the Lord's garden. The same principle applies to those excitable carriers of the message who do not take the basic precaution to verify facts about what they have been duped to carry. Facts remain facts and lies have short legs."
Kereke left the central bank in 2012 smiling after he was given a whopping $1,3 million in terminal benefits, but claims he got a total of $950 000 after deductions by the RBZ.
He wrote to Zimra, the police and Prosecutor-General on Thursday alleging that his Rock Foundation Medical Centre Hospital was penalised after Gono failed to remit the tax deductions to the revenue authority.
Source - newsday
