Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Doctor disowns Kereke affidavit

Doctor disowns Kereke affidavit
Court battles ... Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono
27/05/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

A MEDICAL doctor cited in court documents in a bitter battle between Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and his former adviser Munyaradzi Kereke has dismissed an affidavit bearing his name as fraudulent.

Two Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe security details Phillip Dendere, 47, and George Nyahuye, 36, are charged with assaulting Kereke’s driver Privilege Maturure on March 12 this year.

If the two men are convicted, that could have serious implications for Gono – whom Kereke accuses of a cocktail of plots including intimidation and murder in a bid to stop him from whistle-blowing about alleged corruption at the central bank.

A key piece of evidence in the case is a medical report signed by one Doctor J. Marisa at Parirenyatwa after examining injuries suffered by Maturure.

The report states that Maturure suffered injuries so severe he might never work again.

Lawyers for Dendere and Nyahuye – who deny the assault charges – last Thursday demanded that the doctor who made the assessment be brought to court.

But prosecutor Liberty Gono – no relation to the governor – said they were “unable to locate the witness”, prompting magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini to warn that he will acquit the two men if the doctor is not brought to court at the next hearing on June 1.

In an astonishing twist, a medical doctor named Johannes Marisa – who left Parirenyatwa in January 2008 – came forward on Sunday to claim that he was the supposed author of the medical report.

Marisa, who now runs a private surgery in Kuwadzana suburb, said he was outraged after reading in the newspapers on Saturday that he was the author of a fictitious medical assessment.

In a statement, he said: “I read an article in the newspaper on Saturday and I was very surprised when I saw my name appearing there. As far as I know, I am the only J Marisa on the medical register, but I left Parirenyatwa in 2008 and went into private practice.

“Affidavits and medical reports are done at government hospitals. When somebody is injured, for instance, a doctor at a government hospital must fill an affidavit if required by a court. It follows therefore that my name should not be on any affidavit because I ceased to work for Parirenyatwa almost four years ago.”

Marisa said he would challenge prosecutors on Monday to force them to reveal where they obtained his signature.

“I can only surmise that somebody created this fictitious document under my name because they thought I was no longer in Zimbabwe. It means this person who did this mischievous thing never thought for one moment the doctor may be required to give evidence in court. It makes one think how many people I have put in jail based on false affidavits bearing my name,” Marisa added.

“It is a serious crime to use a doctor’s name in this way. It’s extremely bad. On Monday, I will go to court to see the public prosecutor. I will get a copy of this fraudulent affidavit and use it for further action.”

The case has become the new theatre of a bitter war between Gono and Kereke whose very public fall-out has put the two men in mutual destruction mode.

Kereke has led the attacks on Gono, writing lengthy documents and buying newspaper space to accuse his former boss of theft, fraud and cheating on his wife.

Kereke is suing Gono in an unrelated case for allegedly taking US$100,000 from his bank account - although the money has been paid back with $43,000 interest.

Labels: COURTS, FALSE ALLEGATIONS, GIDEON GONO

posted by MrK @ 6:12 PM