Zimbabwean First Lady sues newspaper for publishing WikiLeaks diamond story

2010-12-17 10:28:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

HARARE, ZIMBABWE (BNO NEWS) -- Zimbabwe First Lady Grace Mugabe on Wednesday filed a lawsuit for $15 million against a local newspaper over the publication of a WikiLeaks story that indicated she was involved in illegal diamond sales, local media reported on Thursday.

On Sunday, the Standard newspaper published a story quoting a WikiLeaks cable that indicated that Grace Mugabe, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Soro, and others close to the President were running the sales of diamonds and became enriched in the process.

The cited U.S. Embassy cable, dated November 2008, alleged that the First Lady gained millions of dollars in proceeds from illegal diamond mining in the Marange district of eastern Zimbabwe. The First Lady responded by filing a multi-million lawsuit against the newspaper for defamation and damages caused. Also named in the suit are the newspaper's editor, Nevanji Madanhire, reporter Nqaba Mtshazi, and Munn Marketing Private Limited and Strand Multiprint Private Limited.

"The imputation of such conduct on a person of such high standing, the mother of the nation, is to lower the respect with which is held by all right thinking persons, to a point of disappearance," said Mugabe's lawyer George Chikumbirike. "Furthermore she is the wife of His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe."

Chikumbirike added that the Standard's article portrayed Grace Mugambe as an individual who took advantage of her position to sell diamonds clandestinely and enriching herself during times in which the country is facing serious foreign currency shortages.

The cables reveal that the RBZ provided freshly printed notes for purchase of diamonds which subsequently were sold for foreign currency. In addition, the article suggested that Grace Mugabe continued to keep the money printing press running to finance the purchase of diamonds and thus accelerating hyperinflation and rendering the Zimbabwe dollar worthless.

Other Zimbabwean government officials implicated in the scandal include Vice President Joyce Mujuru and the head of the army, General Constantine Chiwenga, according to the cable.

Zimbabwe diamonds are known worldwide as "blood diamonds" as the illicit trade in the gemstones is reported to have led to the murder and displacement of thousands of people. Zimbabwe is struggling to sell its Marange diamonds after sanctions imposed due to certification by global regulators did not guarantee they were free from human rights abuses.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-17

Somebody cash in a 5 pound note and give her the 15 million Zimbabwe dollars.

Evil is alive and well Zimbabwe. The people are starving and Grace buys diamonds.

Merry Christmas Mr. & Mrs. Mugabe.

"The imputation of such conduct on a person of such high standing, the mother of the nation, is to lower the respect with which is held by all right thinking persons, to a point of disappearance," said Mugabe's lawyer George Chikumbirike. "Furthermore she is the wife of His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe."

How can one get lower of what they don't have?

A beautiful country gone to waste and nobody doing anything about it.

<br />A beautiful country gone to waste and nobody doing anything about it.<br /> <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

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I guess nobody is doing anything about because there is no spoils of war to be taken at the end.

Well, yes and no...but also, do we really want nations to go around policing the world according to their belief of what is right?

If they had oil, Bush would have invaded them years ago.

^^TAWP, Who has done that? The cables are reports, not public condemnations, not until now at least.. Still, when a country's leaders are exploiting both the people and the country's resources solely for their own benefit wouldn't you think it a good thing if other countries leaders called them on it, providing of course they are not complete hypocrites themselves in doing so...

Kid, I think the idea here is that they are SELLING diamonds to make themselves rich not buying them..

Edited December 19, 201015 yr by WarpSpeed

If they had oil, Bush would have invaded them years ago.

Yep? Tunnel visioned of you to think that OIL is the only worth while resource a country can have..

One post removed. If you wish to address a member here, do it respectfully, not with a derogatory nickname.

One post removed. If you wish to address a member here, do it respectfully, not with a derogatory nickname.

I goofed when reading the post. Now restored with my apologies. :jap:

One post removed. If you wish to address a member here, do it respectfully, not with a derogatory nickname.

I goofed when reading the post. Now restored with my apologies. :jap:

Cheers for both your further review and your open admission of a "goof"....Respect...Human after all eh??

Edited December 19, 201015 yr by WarpSpeed

Partly at least

Partly at least

The other part is Kiwi, isn't it?

Partly at least

The other part is Kiwi, isn't it?

Doh!!

Well, yes and no...but also, do we really want nations to go around policing the world according to their belief of what is right?

No not to establish certain beliefs, just to allow the people to vote democratically.

Well, yes and no...but also, do we really want nations to go around policing the world according to their belief of what is right?

No not to establish certain beliefs, just to allow the people to vote democratically.

You really believe that?

The First Lady

His Excellency

They make Idi Amin seem normal.

Oops sorry. Field Marshal, The Honourable Idi Amin VC, PhD Esquire

Edited December 21, 201015 yr by Bagwan

I do believe some countries are better off without democracy. Palestine had a democratic election but some coutries who applauded that election soon changed their tune when the public didn't vote for what OTHER countreis wanted.

I don't think democracy should be forced on countries or people simply because another country or contries believe in it.

Well, yes and no...but also, do we really want nations to go around policing the world according to their belief of what is right?

Sometimes. Without defensive alliances like NATO and some policing of rogue nations, the world world be in a much more terrible state.