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Gono accused of extortion, fabrication
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A Harare couple embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono has accused him of attempting to extort US$50,000 from them by leveraging his alleged proximity to powerful political figures and threatening them with arrest.
The explosive allegations came during a court session on Friday, where Gono testified as the key State witness in the ongoing fraud trial against Clark Clever Makoni and his wife Beverly Aisha Ndonda Makoni. The pair stands accused of fraudulently altering official documents to seize control of Valley Lodge (Pvt) Ltd, a company Gono claims to have acquired.
According to the State, in July 2017, Gono engaged the Makonis to help manage Valley Lodge and other properties. Prosecutors allege that the couple forged a CR14 company form, unlawfully installing themselves as directors—Clark as Managing Director and Beverly as Finance Director.
However, in court on Friday, the Makonis' legal team, led by Admire Rubaya, disputed the charges and instead accused Gono of attempting to settle the matter behind closed doors through coercion.
Gono testified that after the dispute arose, Clark Makoni initiated a meeting, apologized, and agreed to pay US$50,000 as compensation. But Gono admitted that a deed of settlement meant to formalize the agreement was never finalized, as Beverly Makoni refused to sign it. He also acknowledged that the document required signatures from all three parties to be legally binding.
The Makonis, however, deny ever agreeing to pay the amount, arguing instead that Gono was using the threat of arrest and legal pressure to force them into a payment—a move they say amounted to extortion.
Rubaya grilled Gono on why he had signed documents that explicitly listed Clark as Managing Director and Beverly as Finance Director, when the State's allegations are that the couple fraudulently gave themselves those titles. The defense produced minutes of a meeting and an agreement bearing Gono's signature, acknowledging the pair in their alleged roles.
The defense also questioned why Gono had offered to withdraw the criminal charges in the event the deed of settlement was signed, suggesting that his willingness to back down implied the charges were a tactic to extract money rather than pursue justice.
Clark Makoni has already been arrested and detained twice—once by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and once by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC)—on the same allegations. The defense contends that this pattern is part of Gono's history of allegedly abusing his influence to punish associates who fall out of favour with him.
As part of their defense, the Makonis alleged that Gono had similarly sidelined Ralph Muzembe, his former confidant and best man at his wedding, who previously managed Valley Lodge. Muzembe was reportedly pushed out of the business on Gono's instructions, only for the Makonis to later suffer the same fate.
Under cross-examination, Gono conceded he had no expert evidence to prove the Makonis signed and submitted documents to ZB Bank Mutare, as alleged.
Crucially, it also emerged in court that Gono is neither a registered shareholder nor a director of Valley Lodge, as he has reportedly not completed payment for the purchase of the business from the previous owners, the Omar brothers. No official ownership transfer has been effected.
Gono claimed that some of the meetings around the alleged settlement were recorded on audio and video. However, he failed to produce any of the recordings to support his claims.
The matter was postponed and is scheduled to continue on July 11, with legal fireworks expected to resume in a case that has exposed personal rivalries, allegations of political muscle-flexing, and the complex undercurrents of power, money, and business in Zimbabwe.
The explosive allegations came during a court session on Friday, where Gono testified as the key State witness in the ongoing fraud trial against Clark Clever Makoni and his wife Beverly Aisha Ndonda Makoni. The pair stands accused of fraudulently altering official documents to seize control of Valley Lodge (Pvt) Ltd, a company Gono claims to have acquired.
According to the State, in July 2017, Gono engaged the Makonis to help manage Valley Lodge and other properties. Prosecutors allege that the couple forged a CR14 company form, unlawfully installing themselves as directors—Clark as Managing Director and Beverly as Finance Director.
However, in court on Friday, the Makonis' legal team, led by Admire Rubaya, disputed the charges and instead accused Gono of attempting to settle the matter behind closed doors through coercion.
Gono testified that after the dispute arose, Clark Makoni initiated a meeting, apologized, and agreed to pay US$50,000 as compensation. But Gono admitted that a deed of settlement meant to formalize the agreement was never finalized, as Beverly Makoni refused to sign it. He also acknowledged that the document required signatures from all three parties to be legally binding.
The Makonis, however, deny ever agreeing to pay the amount, arguing instead that Gono was using the threat of arrest and legal pressure to force them into a payment—a move they say amounted to extortion.
Rubaya grilled Gono on why he had signed documents that explicitly listed Clark as Managing Director and Beverly as Finance Director, when the State's allegations are that the couple fraudulently gave themselves those titles. The defense produced minutes of a meeting and an agreement bearing Gono's signature, acknowledging the pair in their alleged roles.
The defense also questioned why Gono had offered to withdraw the criminal charges in the event the deed of settlement was signed, suggesting that his willingness to back down implied the charges were a tactic to extract money rather than pursue justice.
Clark Makoni has already been arrested and detained twice—once by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and once by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC)—on the same allegations. The defense contends that this pattern is part of Gono's history of allegedly abusing his influence to punish associates who fall out of favour with him.
As part of their defense, the Makonis alleged that Gono had similarly sidelined Ralph Muzembe, his former confidant and best man at his wedding, who previously managed Valley Lodge. Muzembe was reportedly pushed out of the business on Gono's instructions, only for the Makonis to later suffer the same fate.
Under cross-examination, Gono conceded he had no expert evidence to prove the Makonis signed and submitted documents to ZB Bank Mutare, as alleged.
Crucially, it also emerged in court that Gono is neither a registered shareholder nor a director of Valley Lodge, as he has reportedly not completed payment for the purchase of the business from the previous owners, the Omar brothers. No official ownership transfer has been effected.
Gono claimed that some of the meetings around the alleged settlement were recorded on audio and video. However, he failed to produce any of the recordings to support his claims.
The matter was postponed and is scheduled to continue on July 11, with legal fireworks expected to resume in a case that has exposed personal rivalries, allegations of political muscle-flexing, and the complex undercurrents of power, money, and business in Zimbabwe.
Source - NewZimbabwe
