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Dr Gono

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono has suggested his former advisor, Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, be taken for a psychological evaluation for making “false claims” that he was involved in corrupt activities while heading the apex bank. Dr Gono said this in his response to an application by Dr Kereke at the Constitutional Court for the arrest of the ex-RBZ Governor.

Dr Gono said the application — filed two weeks ago — was “malicious”, “vindictive”, “vitriolic” and calculated at frustrating his nomination as a Zanu-PF senator.

The former central bank chief has been nominated by Zanu-PF to fill the Buhera Senate seat left vacant by the death of national hero Cde Kumbirai Kangai.

In his response to Dr Kereke’s application, Dr Gono dismissed the criminal allegations raised against him as false.
“While I am not a medical expert and while I am not contending that applicant is insane, I genuinely believe that he has legitimate psychological and psychotic issues that need professional examination and help.

“I believe that while much of the time he could in fact act normally, his tendency to lapse or relapse into these exceptional psychotic mood swings or depressions merit investigation as to his mental state . . . ” said Dr Gono in his opposing affidavit.

He also said, “I want to make the point that I am not a criminal and l dispute each and every allegation, contention, finding or judgement that has been made against me by the applicant.

“I am aware that applicant in this matter and in his founding affidavit has played to the gallery by throwing all kinds of slander at me, when it was totally unnecessary to do so if he was genuine and bona fide . . . ”

Dr Kereke alleges that Dr Gono bribed the top brass at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission with hefty holiday payments and houses as a way of stopping them from investigating him for fraud, theft and abuse of office.
He alleged that Dr Gono committed the offences during his time as RBZ Governor.

Dr Kereke said he wrote to ZACC in October 2012 asking them to investigate and arrest Dr Gono, but none of that happened.
In his Constitutional Court application, Dr Kereke attached a copy of a signed document he said showed the eight ZACC commissioners received US$10 500 each as holiday allowances from the RBZ in 2009.

Dr Kereke further alleges that Dr Gono converted State funds amounting to US$37,5 million, R1,4 million and 21 500 British pounds to his own use.

Responding to the allegations, Dr Gono said Dr Kereke was abusing court process and finding a platform to injure his dignity, character and reputation.

“He (Dr Kereke) alleges that he wrote to the first respondent (ZACC) in October 2012, but does not offer any explanation why he waited for more than 14 months to pursue his matter,” he said.

“He does not offer any explanation as to why this delay has been there. The fact of the matter is that this is a contrived application that was designed to frustrate my nomination on a Zanu-PF ticket into Parliament as a Senator when this matter was being debated at the party’s conference held from December 9, 2013 in Chinhoyi.

“The Constitutional Court is the highest court in the land, as such it must be revered and respected. It cannot and should not be disrespected by being used as forum to advance gross malicious, vindictive and vitriolic claims,” Dr Gono said.
To that end, Dr Gono said, Dr Kereke was approaching the court with dirty hands and his application should be thrown out.

He said the RBZ was audited regularly by reputable auditors like KPMG, Deloitte and Touche and BDO Kudenga, and no such fraud was discovered.
Dr Gono said the books of accounts were clean and that the allegations were baseless and malicious.
He also accused Dr Kereke of using the media to tarnish his image.

The case is yet to be set down for hearing at the Constitutional Court.