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Trust Freddy
Herald Reporter
Diversified investment company, Moti Group of Companies, has dismissed as spurious, unbalanced and fictional, a report by a US-based online publication, The Sentry, alleging that the Zimbabwe registered African Chrome Fields company has been involved in economic crimes and irregular dealings with Zimbabwean officials.
In a statement, Moti Group of Companies said the recent article titled “The Spincash Machine”, published by The Sentry, was a cheap attempt to cast aspersions on the reputation of the company for ignoring calls from the West for international investors to shun Zimbabwe.
The Sentry had apparently been irked by the fact that Moti Group of Companies had chosen to do business in Zimbabwe which remained open to international capital.
The Moti Group has business investments in Zimbabwe and is known for its interests in mining and minerals beneficiation in addition to diverse assets ranging from property to aviation and financial products.
It has recently engaged renowned financial expert Mr Dondo Mogajane, the former Director-General of the South African Treasury, who joined the group last year to spearhead in a venture philanthropy project targeting social upliftment.
The company accused its former employee and attorney, Mr Clinton Van Niekerk of leading the smear campaign after leaving the group last year under a cloud.
Mr Niekerk suddenly resigned from the company after apparently feigning illness before sending a third party to return company property that was in his possession.
He allegedly provided false information to one Frikkie Lutzkie which has now been used as the basis for the false report by The Sentry.
“Clinton Van Niekerk, an admitted attorney who was employed by the Moti Group between 1 February, 2022 and 7 October 2022 is the cause and antagonist behing this report.
“Van Niekerk also received ‘compensation’ for the information (he) provided which is a clear violation of the Protected Disclosures Act and completely destroys his claim that he is a legitimate whistleblower, a fact the media is well aware of,” said the Moti Group.
The group said most of the information stolen by Van Niekerk and forwarded to Lutzkie, which eventually formed the basis of The Sentry’s inquiry in February 2023 was in Word and Excel formats and could therefore, be easily edited.
Using the stolen and edited information informed, The Washington-based investigative journalism publication published the false and defamatory report which will now form the basis of defamation litigation.
The Moti group said it believed the real target of the false report was the Zimbabwean leadership and was deliberately timed ahead of the impending elections.
Online Reporter