SELF-EXILED Lebanese national Jamal Joseph Ahmed, who is
embroiled in a $1,4 million diamond ring wrangle with former First Lady Grace
Mugabe, was last week handed a lifeline after the High Court allowed him to
defend a $1,475 million default judgment entered against him.
Jamal is currently out of the country and his three
upmarket properties were allegedly seized by Grace and her son Russell Goreraza
after a diamond ring deal fell through.
However, Grace has since claimed Jamal’s property seizure
was a police action which had nothing to do with her.
Sometime in June this year, a Ratai Abas Ahmed filed a
chamber application for a default judgment seeking to recover his cash which he
allegedly advanced to Jamal as a personal loan about 10 years ago.
High Court judge Justice Lavender Makoni ruled in favour of
Ratai after Jamal failed to respond to the summons issued in May.
To avoid losing his properties, Jamal then approached the
court seeking leave to defend the default judgment and on November 22, Justice
Ester Muremba gave him the greenlight to challenge the ruling.
“Be pleased to take notice that the defendant (Jamal) has
entered an appearance to defend the above action at 15:49 hours on November 23,
2017. Further take notice that the defendant was granted leave to file his
appearance to defend by Honourable Justice (Ester) Muremba’s order dated
November 22, 2017,” part of the notice of appearance to defend read.
According to Ratai, the lawsuit was emanating from the
duo’s loan agreement entered between the parties on December 10, 2008.
Ratai said on the date and month in question, he gave Jamal
a loan advancement amounting to $1 475 000 and in terms of the agreement, Jamal
was supposed to have repaid the whole amount by February 28, 2009. Newsday
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