Simba Chikore sends death threats to dealer
Controversial Zimbabwe First Lady Grace Mugabe has spoke for the first time about a diamond ring she bought from a Lebanese tycoon whom she describes as a criminal.
A Harare High Court has since ordered the fiery First Lady off the properties she grabbed from the dealer But Grace has instead threatened to kill the messengers of court who visited her house to to let her know of the court orders.
This was the first time that Grace opened up about the deal.
Chat messages
“Furthermore, I told the dealer’s wife that this diamond was a gift from my husband [President Robert Mugabe] on our 20th marriage anniversary. She then said that she would give her husband, the first applicant (Ahmed), my number. I told her that the diamond was required, as my husband was saving for me for this stone for our 20th anniversary in August 2016.”
The First Lady said she later received a call from Zeina, who said she had sent pictures of different shapes of diamond for her to make a choice.
“On April 8, 2016, applicant’s wife (Ahmed wife Zeina), on his instructions, phoned me and told me she had sent pictures of different shapes of diamonds for my choices.” She said added that the gems were certified for colour, cut, clarity and weight by the Gemology Institute of America.
Grace, who claimed to be in possession of text and Whatsapp messages between her and the Lebanese national, said that Ahmed failed to show her the ring that she had ordered despite making a full payment resulting in her demanding a refund.
However, court papers filed by Ahmed when this matter came to light showed that Grace demanded her money back upon delivery of the ring, after she decided she no longer wanted the ring.
Death threats
Grace insisted that she never got the ring delivered to her despite numerous attempts to cause Ahmed to do so.
“I called him and told him of the (wedding) anniversary date, August 17, which was fast approaching. He prevaricated and gave no definitive answer. I smelt a rat,” Grace said in her affidavit.
She added: “On August 3, I called him back and asked him to send the money back into my account. I insisted the money paid back into my CBZ (Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe) account. My bankers were also, on the other hand, asking for the money back after I told them of my plight.”
Ahmed has not denied that he owed the First Lady some money emanating from the botched deal but had offered to pay back the money in instalments to her local account through a third party. To-date, Ahmed has paid pack a paltry $120 000. The Lebanese businessman charged that Grace demanded the refund to be made into her Dubai bank account.
The First Lady, however, denied having a bank account in Dubai.
“I have never thought of externalising money, neither can I do so, as any account I open will be pounced upon, as we are on sanctions with my husband. We lead by example,” she said in her court papers.
She did not say anything about alleged death threats sent to Ahmed by her family.
The dealer is allegedly seeking protection and has since fled Zimbabwe after receiving death threats from Grace’s son, Rusell Goreraza, her son-in-law Simba Chikore, and Kennedy Fero, believed to be from the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation.
