Standard retracts story on Gono Mercedes

Standard retracts story on Gono Mercedes

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• Statement by Zimoco on Gono Mercedes

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S privately-owned Standard newspaper has performed a spectacular climb down after a week of defending claims published in the newspaper that Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Gideon Gono blew US$365 000 of state funds on a luxury Mercedes.

In the face of swelling denials from Gono, the RBZ board and local Mercedes Benz distributors, the Standard had defiantly stood by its story until Sunday.

On Wednesday last week, the paper’s acting editor Bill Saidi told SW Radio Africa: "We have reliable people who have seen the car.”

But the paper dramatically shifted from that position Sunday, admitting that claims that Gono imported a Brabus E V12 Biturbo from Germany were “not true”.

In a front page apology, the paper said: “In our issue of January 7, we published a story under the heading ‘Top class Benz raises eyebrows’ which said Reserve Governor Dr Gideon Gono had imported, at the cost of the Reserve Bank, a luxury Mercedes Benz for US$365 000 for his personal use.

“This was not true and we apologise sincerely and unreservedly for the embarrassment caused by this publication.”

It was not immediately clear if the apology would mollify Gono and the Reserve Bank Board which threatened legal action against the paper last week.

But the paper would not have helped its case by publishing another story in its inside pages which suggests that its sources had failed to notice that Gono’s Mercedes S600 is not the Brabus V12 reported to have caused a “stampede” among staff when it was parked at the Reserve Bank offices.

The paper still failed to explain how the Mercedes S600 delivered in May 2006, which the RBZ governor uses daily would cause a stampede from curious workers.

Headlined “It's an S600 V12, not a Brabus V12”, the Standard attempted to blame its false information on mistaken identity.

The paper said its sources might have “seen the front and the V12 on the side of the car, and mistaken it for a Mercedes Benz Brabaus E V12.”

Gono’s Mercedes S600 cost $168 000, which the RBZ board said was paid through a loan from the central bank.

The RBZ board also threatened legal action against The Zimbabwean newspaper which made a follow-up on the Standard’s false story, claiming Gono would be probed by an anti-corruption commission.

A media lawyer told New Zimbabwe.com that after the Standard retracted its story, The Zimbabwean is on “shaky ground”.

“It’s uniquely embarrassing,” said a UK-based Zimbabwean media lawyer.

Local Mercedes distributors, Zimoco, had already dismissed any idea that there was a Brabus V12 in Zimbabwe.

The company said in a statement: "Zimoco, as the general distributor for Mercedes Benz vehicles in Zimbabwe, has not imported a Brabus vehicle on behalf of any Zimbabwean customer to date.”

Zimbabwe is going through a severe economic recession, marked by critical foreign currency shortages.

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