Former RBZ Advisor, Munyaradzi Kereke, Appears In Court For Defrauding HMMAS Of US$137,000
Munyaradzi Kereke, a former advisor to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, appeared in court on charges of defrauding the Harare Municipal Medical Aid Society (HMMAS) of US$137,000. Kereke and HMMAS CEO Everisto Rukasha appeared before Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa and were remanded in custody for a bail application the following day.
The complainant in the case is HMMAS, which is a subsidiary of the City of Harare. Rukasha is currently suspended, and Kereke is the founder and owner of Briward (Pvt) Ltd, trading as Fortress Hospital.
The allegations state that in early 2014, Rukasha and Kereke agreed to sell Fortress Hospital to HMMAS. Kereke appointed Newton Madzika to handle the transaction on his behalf. HMMAS made a full payment of US$800,000 into Health Body Images’ bank account on November 7, 2014.
However, in March 2022, Rukasha and Kereke conspired to defraud HMMAS. Kereke falsely claimed that HMMAS still owed him US$400,000 for the property purchase. He threatened to repossess the property, which was still in his name, and informed the HMMAS board that he possessed the property’s title deeds.
As a result, HMMAS authorised payment to settle the deceitfully created debt.
Kereke, a former ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Bikita West constituency, has a pending rape case. In July 2016, he was convicted of raping his under age niece at gunpoint and was given a 10-year prison sentence. However, in August 2021, the Supreme Court granted him bail of $500,000 while he awaited the outcome of his appeal against the conviction and sentence. The bail was accompanied by strict conditions set by the court.
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