Mugabe sued over Hong Kong haven

26 May 2015 - 02:15 By ©The Daily Telegraph

The cash-strapped Zimbabwean government faces a potentially embarrassing legal case in Hong Kong over a £4-million (about R74-million) luxury villa said to be one of the favourite properties of the first lady, Grace Mugabe. The house already proved controversial after President Robert Mugabe's wife and his daughter, Bona, were found to be living there while studying in Hong Kong.Asked how they could afford the expensive property, the Mugabes claimed it belonged to the Zimbabwean government and their daughter had been "borrowing it".Mugabe has subsequently claimed the original purchase of the flat was part of a "secret government project".But Hsieh Ping Sung - a Taiwanese-born South African citizen now known as Jack Ping - claims he bought the property before leasing it to the Zimbabwean government.Expensive lawyers from Hong Kong and South Africa have been hired for the dispute, which is due to go to mediation this week. Though the Zimbabwean government claims it is the true owner of the property, it has failed so far to provide a receipt.Ping and Grace Mugabe were jointly connected to a number of failed platinum and gold-mining ventures in Zimbabwe several years ago.Ping also introduced Mugabe to medical specialists in Malaysia and Singapore who have conducted prostate and eye surgery on him several times.Ping said he received only one month's rent on the property. ..

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