By Tendai Kamhungira
HARARE – The feud between Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono and his ex-advisor, Munyaradzi Kereke, took a dramatic turn after a man claimed he was offered money to forge a medical affidavit for Kereke’s personal driver.
Jacob Chiweshe, 35, yesterday told Harare magistrate Faith Mushure that Kereke’s personal driver Privilege Maturure had approached him with a stamped affidavit seeking his assistance in the form of a forged signature, so that he would get compensation for an alleged assault.
Kereke claims Phillip Dendere, 47 and George Nyahuye, 36, who are RBZ security officers, trailed him as he left his medical centre in Mt Pleasant. Allegations are that the two brutally attacked and injured Maturure. Kereke claims the two are being used by his ex-boss.
Chiweshe yesterday pleaded guilty to forgery charges. However, his lawyer Tapiwa Makanza addressing the court in mitigation said his client had not benefitted from committing the offence.
“Accused was approached by Privilege Maturure. When he was approached he was advised the said Maturure had been assaulted and in order for him to get compensation for the assault there was need for a medical affidavit.
He was promised some monetary returns. However, he did not receive any, so he did not benefit from the offence,” Makanza said in mitigation. Prosecutor Joyce Sithole said Chiweshe had committed a serious offence and urged the court to punish him accordingly.
“A deterrent sentence should be passed on the accused as his intention was to defeat the course of justice since the affidavit was to be used as an exhibit in an undergoing trial. His conduct brings to disrepute our justice delivery system,” said Sithole.
Last week prosecutor Liberty Gono who was handling the assault case revealed to the court that Chiweshe was a nurse at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
A medical doctor, Johannes Marisa, whose name was used in the affidavit gave evidence in court last week and professed ignorance of the medical affidavit but told the court that Chiweshe, is his brother-in-law. He told the court his signature had been forged.
State papers revealed Chiweshe lied he was a medical doctor at Parirenyatwa Hospital, before compiling a medical affidavit that was to be used in court as an exhibit. Chiweshe, according to court papers, manufactured the medical affidavit with false details of Maturure’s injuries, after forging Marisa’s signature.
Meanwhile, Chiweshe was yesterday spared a jail term by magistrate Mushure after he was ordered to perform community service as part of his sentence. He had been sentenced to seven months in prison, two of which were suspended on condition of good behaviour for the next three years.
The remaining five months were suspended on condition Chiweshe performs 175 hours of community service. Daily News
