MUGABE DENIES SUING HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN OVER $5M PAD THE government has dismissed reports claiming President Robert Mugabe launched a lawsuit to reclaim ownership of a luxury Hong Kong property that was reportedly bought by a middleman for use by his daughter, Bona, while at university on the territory. Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post this week reported that the Zimbabwe government, led by Mugabe, had filed a High Court writ suing local businessman Hsieh Ping-sung and a company, Cross Global in a bid to reclaim the house which is valued at about $5 million. But a foreign affairs official said the ministry was not aware of any such courtaction. “We have nothing of that sought in our office, and I cannot comment on that because I do not see anything foreign about that,” Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa told NewZimbabwe in a telephone interview Thursday. Mutsvangwa then referred further questions to George Charamba, Mugabe’s spokesperson who was however not available. When his association with the property was revealed in 2009, Mugabe insisted he had only rented the home for use by Bona while she completed her undergraduate studies. We are paying rent. After they finish we will have nothing to do with that property at all, Mugabe said at the time. He added: What do I do with a house in Hong Kong, really? We just want accommodation for our daughter and her friends. Reports however insisted that Mugabe splashed out HK$40 million (US$5 million) in June 2008 for the three-storey home at JC Castle, an upmarket development along Shan Tong Road. It was claimed that the house was bought through Hsieh, who was acting on behalf of the Mugabes, months before their daughter began studies at the University of Hong Kong. Hsieh was said to have used a company to buy the property with the Mugabes holding a controlling interest in the house. Hsieh was the sole shareholder of Cross Global in 2010, Companies Registry filings show. On January 29, 2010, Cross Global sold the house to Hsieh for HK$40 million (about US$5 million) - the same price at which it bought the house in 2008 - Land Registry in Hong Kong records show. And in the writ said to be before the local High Court, the Zimbabwean government says Cross Global is holding the property for it in trust. It is asking the court to declare it has a 100 per cent beneficial interest in the property and to order Cross Global and Hsieh to transfer the property to it.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 12:32:44 +0000
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