Prosecutor pokes into Kereke’s private life

By Tarisai Machakaire

A Harare magistrate yesterday embarrassed Zanu PF Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke after granting the private prosecutor authority to poke into his private life, something the legislator was not comfortable with in the rape trial.

During his trial, Kereke had objected to private prosecutor Charles Warara’s line of questioning when he asked him: “When you said you are happily married, you meant to three wives?”

Kereke is answering to charges of indecent assault and rape after allegedly molesting his wife’s two nieces at his Borrowdale home at gunpoint.

In his response, Kereke asked the court to intervene arguing that Warara was infringing on his right to privacy only for the magistrate to rule in the private prosecutor’s favour.

Kereke said the questioning was defamatory and meant to denigrate his religious affiliation at the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect.

“I don’t see what rights are being trampled upon here. During his defence, the accused person went to town attacking other people’s character and his character is also subject to scrutiny. He is well aware of that and the court even warned him,” ruled Mupeiwa.

Warara then questioned Kereke if he had divorced with any of his wives to which he confirmed saying he once had five wives but broke up with two, one after the other.

“I have three wives at the moment and will confirm that I have had two previous divorces,” said Kereke.

Warara further questioned: “you recently married another wife when you joined that church and hold a financial position? Is it not true that wife was donated to you”?

However, Kereke refuted the claims and kept insisting that Warara’s sentiments sought to denigrate his church.

Warara further claimed that Kereke breached procedures of returning a gun that had been issued to him by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) during his service as personal advisor to then governor Gideon Gono.

When RBZ director of Financial Intelligence Unit Mirirai Chiremba testified during the on-going trial he said Kereke threatened him with unspecified action had he refused to sign the “fraudulent”document.

“On the morning of August 22, 2010 I was summoned by Kereke to meet him at a shopping centre in Chisipite. When I arrived he was already parked and he produced a pistol and said he wanted to return it to RBZ security because some people were alleging that he had used it in a criminal offence,” Chiremba said.

“I took the gun and drove to the bank before locking it in a safe. The following day Kereke stormed into my office holding papers…he was a powerful man and though I knew it was wrong to do so I still signed the document.”

Warara yesterday said Kereke had not disputed the alleged meeting at the shopping centre. Daily News