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Chief Court Reporter
Harare lawyer Mr Wilson Manase is demanding US$1,5 million from Alpha Media Holdings, the publishers of NewsDay, over an article claiming he was under criminal probe over the change of ownership of a farm.
In so doing it tarnished his reputation and caused him great embarrassment, according to the letter written to AMH last Friday by Mr Manase’s lawyer, Mr Obert Mawadze.
In the latest case, Mr Mawadze accused NewsDay and reporter Paidamoyo Muzulu of “savage reporting” of Mr Manase’s personal and professional life in its article, “Manase woes continue”, which was published in its last Thursday edition.
According to the alleged defamatory report, members of Magamba Echimurenga Housing Scheme had asked the Law Society of Zimbabwe to probe Mr Manase over the way he handled the change of ownership of Amsterdam Farm, on the outskirts of Harare.
It further claimed that Mr Manase was also under probe by the Criminal Investigation Department Serious Frauds Squad over the same issue, after he allegedly assisted three different parties to claim ownership of the farm.
Mr Mawadze said there is a judgment of three judges of the Supreme Court in SC68/07 wherein the correct legal position was articulated and nowhere in that judgment was Magamba Echimurenga a party to the proceedings. This judgment should have been checked by the reporter.
This is the second time Mr Manase has clashed with the paper over articles that he sees as harming his reputation.
Early this year, the lawyer demanded US$750 000 in defamation damages over an article linking him to the alleged Air Zimbabwe insurance scam. The case is still pending after an attempt by Alpha Media to reach an out of court settlement failed.
Online Reporter