Harare | Prior Munyaradzi Kereke, a convicted rapist and politician from Bikita West, appeared in court on allegations of fraud.
Time restrictions resulted in the remand of Kereke and his suspected collaborator, Everisto Rukasha, in custody and the postponement of their bail hearing.
Through the sale of his property, Fortress Hospital, for US$800,000 in 2014, Kereke is accused of conspiring with Rukasha to cheat the Harare Municipal Medical Aid Society (HMMAS).
Kereke is the creator and proprietor of Briward Private Limited, which operates as Fortress Hospital, and Rukasha is the chief executive officer of HMMAS.
Rukasha and Kereke decided to sign a sales agreement wherein Kereke would supposedly sell HMMAS Fortress Hospital, which is located in 9653 Ruwa Township.
The purchase was purportedly carried out on Kereke’s behalf by one Newton Madzika, managing director of Health Body Images Private Limited.
On November 7, 2014, Briward Private Limited, represented by Newton Madzika, and Rukasha, acting on behalf of HMMAS, entered into a sale agreement for the purchase of Fortress Hospital for US$800,000.
According to the State, HMMAS deposited the entire purchase amount into the Kingdom Bank Limited account for Health Body Images on the same day.
Madzika paid US$800,000 to Mambosasa Legal Practitioners, Kereke’s solicitors’ trust account, on November 14, 2014.
The State claimed that on March 18 of last year, Kereke and Rukasha came up with a scheme to deceive HMMAS.
Even after receiving full payment, Kereke allegedly issued a letter to HMMAS requesting US$400,000.
Supporting the letter, Rukasha sent Sibusisiwe Mleya, HMMAS’s manager of finance and administration, the recognition of debt and a verbal command to pay the amount due.
Before the HMMAS board stopped making payments on July 25 of last year, Mleya paid US$120 000 after realising there was no outstanding obligation.
Kereke is said to have gone up to the HMMAS board and informed them that he still held the title rights to the property, threatening to take it back.
As a result, HMMAS approved payments to settle the debt that was falsely recognised.
Following their claimed capitulation to Kereke’s persuasion, HMMAS started making installment payments to his Justice Foundation Trust Met Bank.
Before the board later reconsidered the concession, revoked the resolution to proceed with payment, and reported the issue to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, HMMAS paid an additional $17,000.
According to the State, Kereke received US$137 000 in total from HMMAS to settle the US$400 000 bogus debt claim at the time of his detention.
Lancelot Mutsokoti was put on trial.
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