Lebanese businessman Jamal Hamed has approached the High
Court demanding US$4 million from former First Lady Grace Mugabe in defamation
compensation and damages to his three houses that she seized.
Jamal was embroiled in a legal saga with Grace over a
diamond ring when former President Robert Mugabe was still at the helm.
In his lawsuit, Jamal said he was a renowned diamond
entrepreneur who, among other businesses, trades in diamonds, both within and
outside Zimbabwe.
The businessman cited Grace, her son Russel Goreraza,
police officers Kennedy Fero and Nyambo Viera and Police Commissioner-General
Godwin Matanga in his official capacity, as respondents in the matter.
In his declaration, Jamal said between October 2016 and
December 2017, Grace and Goreraza, caused to be published a statement in
connection with the diamond ring saga, claiming that he had breached the terms
and conditions of the deal.
Consequently, he said the published statements depicted him
as a crook and a criminal, tarnishing his image both locally and
internationally for which he is demanding US$2 million.
“The first and second defendants (Grace and Goreraza)
stated on diverse occasions in their affidavits that the plaintiff (Jamal)
breached an agreement for the sale of a diamond ring with the first defendant,
and had consequently been deported and or banned from three African countries
because of his criminal activities,” he said.
“The fourth and fifth defendants (Fero and Viera) stated on
diverse occasions in their affidavits that the first plaintiff was a dangerous
international criminal with far and wide-ranging criminal activities in
Zimbabwe and was being sought by Interpol in terms of a warrant of arrest.”
Jamal, however, said when the statements were published in
the local newspapers, they were false, wrongful and defamatory and were
intentionally designed to reduce his esteem, both professionally and
personally.
“… They were understood by readers of print and online publications
that the first plaintiff is dishonest, does not adhere to proper business
ethics and is a criminal in that: He is a liar and conman, does not honour his
contractual obligations, is a fraudster who does not deliver what he is
contracted to do and that he is an international criminal,” he said.
Turning to the issue of his properties, Jamal said the
police were illegally occupying them despite an extant eviction court order and
as such he was now demanding rentals and damages for all his properties from
Matanga in the sum of US$1 904 000.
Grace and her co-defendants are yet to respond. Newsday
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