Kereke claims lawyer wanted him broke

Source: Kereke claims lawyer wanted him broke – DailyNews Live Tarisai Machakaire • 27 April 2016

HARARE – Zanu PF Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke who is on trial for allegedly raping his wife’s two nieces yesterday claimed that the private prosecutor involved in his case fabricated the allegations to bring his business down.

This was said during the on-going trial before Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa.

Kereke claimed that in 2010, private prosecutor Charles Warara and the complainants went on a media campaign to tarnish his image and subsequently bring his business to its knees.

“During the investigations, details of the complainants’ statements were in the public media and this included radio interviews that were recorded barely days after the initial police report,” said Kereke.

“…these reports would be commented by the private prosecutor and thus proving that these charges were motivated by malice.”

Through his lawyer Erum Mutandiro, Kereke produced a transcript from SW Radio Africa News to substantiate his claims.

Read the transcript: “Our campaign is meant to tell every Zimbabwean going to his (Kereke) surgery or clinic called Rock Foundation in Mt Pleasant, Harare not to use his clinic as they will be financially supporting a rapist”.

Kereke recently made sensational claims that Zimbabwe People First leader and former vice president Joice Mujuru and a team of former cabinet ministers played a role in fabricating the rape charges against him.

He claims that Mujuru teamed up with ex-Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, ex-Information minister Webster Shamu and Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo to smear his political career.

Although Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe director of Financial Intelligence Unit Mirirai Chiremba had testified earlier that he was forced to sign a document suggesting that Kereke had returned a gun — that was allegedly used to threaten one of the rape victims — on an earlier date the legislator strongly refuted the allegations.

The court heard that when Chiremba relayed the matter to Gono, he was advised to secure the firearm because they feared that the gun may have been used in an activity that could affect the bank.

“During my time at Reserve Bank, I learnt that Gono had promised to buy houses and give $10 500 holiday allowances to anti-corruption bosses… Gumbo, Wutaunashe and Harried. Soon after the houses had been bought and payments were made I protested because he had abused State money,” Kereke defended himself.

“When I reported the case that is when my issues with Gono started. He teamed up with security officer Grasham Muradzikwa who is responsible for booking firearms to trump up allegations against me.” Kereke claimed that the complainants and their guardians were bitter that he had turned down their requests for money.

Conversely, the complainants’ guardians said Kereke tried to negotiate for an out-of-court settlement and ‘had become a menace coming to our house sometimes during the morning, afternoon and even, evenings’.