'Arrest warrant' for man in fight with Grace Mugabe

Police in Zimbabwe have issued an arrest warrant for a Lebanese businessman locked in a dispute with  First Lady Grace Mugabe over a $1.35m (£1m) diamond ring deal, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.

Global police agency Interpol had been informed that Jamal Ahmed was wanted over a spate of allegations, including money-laundering, theft and purchase of minerals, police are quoted as saying in affidavits presented to a court.

Police are backing an appeal by Mrs Mugabe to overturn a High Court ruling ordering her to return three properties she seized from Mr Ahmed after diamond ring deal went sour, the Herald reported.  

Police said the properties were under her "guard" and had not been "grabbed" by Mrs Mugabe, the report added.

Supt Nyambo Viera is quoted as saying:   

"While we were carrying out our investigations, which are advanced, we came to learn of the theft/fraud he perpetrated against the First Lady

"Coupled with all the other investigation material, we applied and got a warrant of arrest against this individual."

 Mr Ahmed, who is out of Zimbabwe, has not yet commented on the latest allegations.

In a previous affidavit,  Mr Ahmed said he had suffered a "reign of terror and harassment" and was "verbally threatened, harassed, insulted" and told that he could not do anything about it "as the parties involved [Mrs Mugabe and her son] were in fact 'Zimbabwe'", media reports said last month

According to the affidavit, she demanded a refund after the diamond ring, purchased in Dubai, was delivered to her after it had been polished by a third party.

When Mr Ahmed failed to repay the money to an account in Dubai, even though he says it was remitted through a Zimbabwe bank, the first lady forcibly took over his three houses last October, his testimony said.

The ring was meant to be President Robert Mugabe's present to his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary, South Africa's News24 reported.