Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe advisor Munyaradzi Kereke has been arrested for fraud.
The former Zanu PF Bikita West legislator is jointly charged with suspended Harare Municipal Medical Aid Society (HMMAS) chief executive Everisto Rukasha.
The two appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa who remanded them in custody awaiting their bail hearing.
It is alleged that the two defrauded HMMAS of US$137 000.
According to the state sometime in 2014, Rukasha, who was acting on behalf of HMMAS entered into a contract with Kereke who agreed to sell his Fortress Hospital in Ruwa for US$800 000.
The court further heard that the council medical aid society paid the full amount by November 14 2014 but Kereke and Rukasha connived and lied that the former was still owed US$400 000.
"Pursuant to their plan, accused 2 (Kereke) wrote a letter to HMMAS misrepresenting that HMMAS still owed him US$400 000 from the purchase of Fortress Hospital and demanding for the payment knowing fully well that HMMAS had paid him the purchase price in full.
"On 21 March 2022, accused 1 (Rukasha), fully aware that HMMAS had paid the full purchase price, entered into a fraudulent acknowledgement of debt acknowledging that HMMAS was owing accused 2 US$400 000.
It is alleged that thereafter Rukasha tendered the acknowledgement of debt to Sibusisiwe Mleya, the Finance and Administration Manager of HMMAS and verbally instructed him to pay the money."
Mleya was deceived into believing that the payment was due, and that HMMAS was owing accused 2, and basing on that misrepresentation she effected a part payment of USD$120 000. On the 25th of July 2022, the Board realised that HMMAS had no legacy debt and stopped making payments towards the liquidation of the fraudulent debt."
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The court heard that after HMMAS cancelled the agreement of debt, Kereke then went to the medical society's board and threatened to repossess the property which was still in his name.
He also allegedly made it clear that he was still in possession of the property title deeds which led the board to authorise payments towards the liquidation of the fraudulently acknowledged debt.
After succumbing to the protracted pressure from Kereke, HMMAS paid US$17 000 in installments to his Justice Foundation Trust Met Bank account.
However, the board later reneged on the agreement, rescinded the resolution to effect payment and reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission leading to the two accused's arrest.
