HARARE - Munyaradzi Kereke, the ex-advisor to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono, has sought parliamentary protection and immunity in his epic battle with his former boss.

His shrill calls, contained in a September 3 letter to parliamentary speaker Lovemore Moyo, come at a time the Rock Foundation Medical Centre  founder has been slapped with a $10 million defamation suit by Gono.

In the five-page letter, Kereke also accuses some unnamed senior government officials of trying to talk him out of nailing Gono through dirty tactics — a line he has trotted since his ejection from the Central Bank eight months ago.

“...l write to you to make a landmark request that the Parliament of Zimbabwe grants me leave and immunity to source, and produce before the High Court of Zimbabwe information, which l know certainly exists proving the rampant acts of theft of millions of public funds fraud, corruption, gross abuse of office, betrayal of national interests and breach of the Official Secrets Act and other vices by... Gono,” he said, adding the latter’s emissaries have threatened him with arrest under the Official Secrets Act should he testify in any court or the august house.

While the young economist has often said that he has tonnes of evidence or material to nail Gono and prove his alleged misdemeanours, including the misappropriation of funds, bullion and other public assets, Kereke is now pleading for immunity “to source and tender” documents that will bury his former boss.

“I pray that our Honourable parliament grants me leave under special immunity to source and tender before the High Court of Zimbabwe, documents explicitly proving beyond reasonable doubt, the above rampant acts of breach of the law by Dr Gono. This will be exemplary in demonstrating parliaments’ commitment to the people for public institutions to be accountable,” the once swaggering businessman said.

“In the event that parliament considers this request inadmissible for whatever reason(s), l seek guidance from parliament on how to proceed so that the letter and spirit of the country’s laws against fraud, corruption, abuse of office and treasonous behaviour by public officials are served in the public good,” Kereke said, adding if the court route fails then he was even prepared to appear before Moyo’s assembly.

But in his recent court papers, Gono dismisses Kereke’s graft allegations – emanating from a February 28 letter – as a fat fib.