Former adviser to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Munyaradzi Kereke and the suspended chief executive of Harare Municipal Medical Aid Society (HMMAS), Everesto Rukasha, were on Monday, 13 November, granted US$200 bail each in a case in which they are accused of fraud involving US$400 000.
The duo was granted bail by Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
In her bail ruling, Gofa remanded Kereke and Rukasha to 13 December, saying the two were not a flight risk and would be able to stand trial. She said:
Even though the State is alleging that its case is strong before this court, there are two agreements of sale. Even though it is not yet a trial, the evidence is 50/50.
Also, the accused have a right to be seen as innocent until proven guilty. Since both of the accused are on bail pending trial for other offences, it shows that they have never flouted bail conditions granted to them by the higher courts.
To say they are flight risks when they have never shown any intention to flee does not hold water.
According to court papers, sometime in early 2014, Rukasha and Kereke agreed to enter into an agreement, whereby the latter would sell his immovable property, Fortress Hospital located at number 9653 Ruwa Township, Chipukutu, Sebastopol, to HMMAS.
Kereke then appointed Newton Madzika, the managing director of Health Body Images (Pvt) Ltd, to conduct the transaction on his behalf.
On 07 November 2014, Rukasha representing HMMAS entered into an agreement of sale with Briward Private [Ltd] represented by Newton Madzika for the purchase of Fortress Hospital for US$800 000.
The full purchase price of US$800 000 was to be paid into the account of Health Body Images held with Kingdom Bank Limited.
On 14 November 2014, Madzika allegedly transferred US$800 000 into the trust account of Kereke’s lawyers, Mambosasa Legal Practitioners.
On 18 March 2022, Rukasha allegedly connived with Kereke to defraud HMMAS by writing a letter to HMMAS claiming that they still owed Kereke US$400 000 from the purchase of Fortress Hospital and demanding the payment.
Kereke allegedly approached the HMMAS board threatening to repossess the property which was still in his name and made it clear to it that he was still in possession of the title deeds to the property.
On 21 March 2022, Rukasha allegedly entered into a fraudulent acknowledgement of debt acknowledging that HMMAS was owing Kereke US$400 000.
Rukasha verbally instructed Sibusisiwe Mleya, the finance and administration manager of HMMAS to pay the money to Kereke.
On 12 July 2022, the Board realised that HMMAS had no legacy debt and stopped making payments. But that was after US$120 000 and another US$17 000 had already been paid to Kereke.
Kereke denied the allegation stating that the total amount that was supposed to be paid was US$1 138 000 and not the US$800 000 as alleged by the State.
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