ZBC radio presenter Rutendo Makuti yesterday appeared in court on allegations of attempting to extort money from leader of Goodness and Mercy Ministries, “Prophet” Tapiwa Freddy, by otherwise threatening to expose their love affair to the public.
Makuti, known as Ruru on Radio Zimbabwe, appeared before
magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with extortion.
She was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded
to January 7 on $5 000 bail. She was represented by lawyer Mr Tinashe Mbala.
The State led by Mr Anesu Chirenje alleged that over the
last year, Makuti and Freddy had a love affair and while they were together,
she allegedly started threatening him that if he did not meet her financial and
material demands, she would expose the affair to the public.
In August this year, Freddy was summoned by Chief Chikwaka
to his homestead, but after he was tipped off that there might be some police
officers who wanted to extort money from him he then left without entering the
chiefly homestead, the court heard.
But as he was returning to Harare, he was said to have been
stopped by police manning a roadblock along Mutoko Road just after the
intersection near Chief Chikwaka’s homestead and allegedly the police said they
had been instructed by Inspector Jaji and Chief Chikwaka not to allow him to
pass through.
After a few minutes, two men arrived at the roadblock and
introduced themselves as Chief Chikwaka and Inspector Jaji and ordered Freddy
to drive to his place, but he refused to comply, according to the State.
It is alleged that Inspector Jaji forcefully entered
Freddy’s car and ordered him to drive to the Chief’s homestead where he
discovered some uniformed police officers seated in a hut with six assistants
to the chief.
The State alleged that Chief Chikwaka started accusing
Freddy of raping Makuti and having sexual relations with her barely a year
after the death of her husband, which was against their traditions.
He allegedly told the clergyman to pay something for
violating the traditions, but refused to deal with the rape allegations since
the police had to handle criminal cases.
It is said that Freddy felt that whatever was happening was
illegal, but he was allegedly pressured to promise to pay US$15 000 and three
goats and promised to return on a later date with the items.
Allegations are that Chief Chikwaka made him sign an
agreement, which was prepared by Inspector Jaji and who promised to track him
down in Harare if he failed to pay, and pick him up during his church services.
It is said that Chief Chikwaka told Freddy that if he
failed to comply he would leak a video of him he had recorded to the public.
The court heard that when they returned to Harare, Makuti
asked Freddy to give her the money since she was the one who was involved with
him.
She then allegedly threatened that if he failed to give her
the money she would expose their love affair to the public through someone
called Tatelicious.
Out of fear and pressure, Freddy allegedly gave Makuti a
Mercedes Benz E-250 and she allegedly warned him never to reveal the ‘deal’ and
made him sign an agreement, saying it was a way of settling their differences.
After some days, Makuti allegedly started threatening
Freddy, saying his secretary Nollen Mundawaro had insulted her and she wanted
US$20 000 as compensation and told him that Ms Mundawaro could not represent
his church on all their radio and television programmes.
On Thursday this week, Makuti’s brother allegedly phoned
Freddy that he had up to the end of the day to pay the US$20 000 and sign an
acknowledgement that he had raped Makuti.
It was at this stage that Freddy lodged a complaint with
the police. Herald
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