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Travel firm sues Mugabe's office over Tsvangirai bills

by Staff reporter
18 Oct 2016 at 07:30hrs | Views
A travel company has dragged the President's Office and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to court demanding payment of an $81 000 debt, dating back to 2013.

According to the court papers that were filed by Joel Travel and Tours, the debt accumulated after the office of the prime minister, which was occupied by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The company is now seeking a provisional sentence at the High Court, in order to recover the money.

"Plaintiff (Joel Travel and Tours) claims for provisional sentence in the amount of $81 247, 08. This amount is based on an acknowledgment of debt signed by the 1st defendant (Office of the President and Cabinet)," read part of the summons.

According to Joel Travel and Tours, the last instalment of the amount was supposed to have been paid by December 2013, but nothing has been paid to date.

"You the defendants, are called upon to satisfy the plaintiff's claims immediately by paying the amount claimed to the Sheriff or to the plaintiff's legal practitioners. If you do not do so, you must appear either in person or represented by a legal practitioner, in the High Court of Zimbabwe…to answer the claim," the provisional sentence summon further reads.

A provisional sentence summon is one whereby a creditor in possession of a liquid document that he may use to sue quickly. In the event that the debtor cannot dispute the validity of the liquid document, a provisional judgment will be entered against him.

It is only after the debtor has paid the judgment debt as security, will he be able to enter into the merits of the case.

In this case, Joel Travel Tours claims to be in possession of an acknowledgement of debt document, which it filed together with the summons.

According to the document filed in December 2013, the office of the prime minister acknowledged the debt.

"The prime minister's office hereby acknowledges that it owes Joel Travel and Tours a total of $81 247, 08. Joel Travel and Tours is a car hire company. Between the period of February 2013 and August 2013, the office of the prime minister hired vehicles from Joel Travel and Tours. The total bill for this period was $108 331, 68, of that amount, $27 084, 60, has been paid," reads the acknowledgment of debt document filed in court.

The matter has been set down for hearing tomorrow on the unopposed roll.

Source - dailynews