Gono, who is on the warpath with his boss Finance Minister Tendai Biti, last week reportedly wrote to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and copied the same to SADC leaders complaining he was being victimised for investigating the law firm where Biti was once a senior partner.
In his letter dated May 11, Gono alleged that the RBZ investigated Honey and Blanckenberg and uncovered that the crime was committed between October 2005 and May 2006.
Gono said he was convinced that Biti’s fight with him was not based on professional grounds but was a personal agenda in retaliation to the central bank’s investigation.
Gono alleges that the central bank’s Financial Intelligence Division was called in by a whistleblower who reported that the law firm was externalising legal fees of external cleints charged in foreign currency.
According to documents from Gono’s office, the firm was earning US$30 000 a week and that information was only privy to one Barry Brighton, a lwayer with the firm.
But Burt Rosettenstein, a senior partner with Honey and Blanckenberg hit back at Gono saying: “In 2006, according to his (Gono’s) account a whistleblower disclosed certain information concerning our practice to the Reserve Bank. The matter was investigated by the police and no prosecution was brought against Honey and Blanckenberg, indicating clearly that we had been exonerated.”
He said over the past two weeks (three years after the alleged offence) partners in the law firm received numerous threats arising from the old accusations calling upon them to reign in Biti to stop demanding the removal of Gono from Number 80 Samora Machel (central bank) or risk unspecified action.
“Naturally, we have ignored such threats. Since Dr Gono states that the matter is before the courts, then it is clearly subjudice and it is regrettable and highly inappropriate that a person of his position has resorted to the media in an effort to bring this matter into the political arena without allowing the due process of the law to take its course,” Rosettenstein said.
“For reasons of propriety and professionalism, the partners of Honey and Blanckenberg will not comment on the merits of the case. We are confident, however, in the sound judgment of the public, its awareness of the intergrity of Honey and Blanckenberg and its understanding of the reality of what lies behing Dr Gono’s unfortunate outburst against us.”
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says he has not yet received the letter, but read it in the media.
Biti says he too has not seen Gono’s letter, adding that he was pursuing a personal agenda but was on national service.
The two formations of the MDC want Gono to resign from the central bank because of his quasi-fiscal operations they blame for fuelling inflation and that his reappointment was irregular and not in comformity with the provisions of the Global Political Agreement that brought the rival parties together, albiet temporary.
But President Robert Mugabe recently stated that Gono was not going anywhere putting the lifespan of the inclusive government at risk. In retaliation, the MDC-T has written to SADC leaders to intervene in the case of Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana who they accuse of being residual elements of the old regime.
Tomana is being accused of playing the political card and being impartial after the openly delcared his allegiance to ZANU-PF courting local, regional and international condemnation.
The international community has since made it clear that they would support Zimbabwe via the Reserve Bank.