A former central bank chief faced tough questions about his fading memory during a major fraud trial. Gideon Gono told the court that a married couple cheated him out of millions when they grabbed control of his business. Clark Clever Makoni and his wife Beverly stand accused of stealing ZWL$137 million through fake paperwork. The pair denies all charges against them. Gono had hired them back in 2017 to run Valley Lodge and other properties he controlled.
Court papers show the couple went way beyond their job duties and forged official documents. They made Clark the director and company secretary without permission. Beverly also became a director through the same sneaky methods. Prosecutors say this illegal takeover cost Gono a fortune. The couple completely ignored their original work agreement.
Gono struggled to remember exact dates during his testimony and blamed his advanced age. Defense lawyers jumped on this weakness and questioned whether he could be trusted. The former governor quickly took back his comments about memory problems. He said his words had been twisted out of their true meaning. Clark once offered to pay fifty thousand dollars to settle the matter but his wife refused to sign the deal.
Defense attorney Admire Rubaya attacked the case from multiple angles. He pointed out that settlement papers never explained what the money was actually for. The lawyer also showed documents that Gono himself had signed listing Clark as managing director. The trial resumes next week.
Court papers show the couple went way beyond their job duties and forged official documents. They made Clark the director and company secretary without permission. Beverly also became a director through the same sneaky methods. Prosecutors say this illegal takeover cost Gono a fortune. The couple completely ignored their original work agreement.
Gono struggled to remember exact dates during his testimony and blamed his advanced age. Defense lawyers jumped on this weakness and questioned whether he could be trusted. The former governor quickly took back his comments about memory problems. He said his words had been twisted out of their true meaning. Clark once offered to pay fifty thousand dollars to settle the matter but his wife refused to sign the deal.
Defense attorney Admire Rubaya attacked the case from multiple angles. He pointed out that settlement papers never explained what the money was actually for. The lawyer also showed documents that Gono himself had signed listing Clark as managing director. The trial resumes next week.
