A specialist neurologist was on Wednesday brought before a Harare magistrate charged with contravening provisions of the Data Protection Act after he allegedly blackmailed fellow neurologist Andrew Mataruse accusing him of being less qualified.
The accused, Lennon Tonderai Gwaunza (40), appeared before magistrate Apollonia Marutya who granted him US$100 bail and remanded the matter to January 22 next year for trial.
As part of his bail conditions, Gwaunza was ordered not to interfere with State witnesses and not to post anything to do with the complainant.
The complainant practices clinical neurology and internal medicine and is registered under the specialist physician register PHY 700207 with the Medical and Dental Practitioners of Zimbabwe.
Mataruse did his medical studies at Royal College of Physician (London) 2023, is a fellow of the European Board of Neurology from the European Board of Neurology 2021, has a specialist certificate in clinical neurology from the Royal College Physician (UK 2019), Master of Science Clinical Neurology from the University of London (UCL 2017), fellow at College of Physician (ESCA) 2016, Master of Medicines (Zimbabwe) 2014, Diploma in Mental Health (Zimbabwe) 2010.
It is the State's case that on February 13 2022 at around 18:13 hours, Gwaunza unlawfully and intentionally generated a data message using his email address namely lennongwauza.13@alumni.ucl.ac.uk with the information suggesting that Mataruse was not a clinically-trained neurologist.
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Part of the email read: "I was volunteering at Pari and I have from immediate effect relinquished that role, so I will be unable to supervise Dr.Mushawarima. Secondly Dr Mushawarima is a fully fledged (sic) neurologist who doesn't need to be supervised by myself or by Dr Mataruse who isn't a clinically trained neurologist.
However, the council feels it's in Dr Mushawarima's interest that he is supervised by someone who has never seen the entrance of a neurology training center. Please by all means go ahead. I will not be involved in that circus."
The State alleges that Gwaunza then unlawfully and intentionally shared the email to with Julian Mashingaidze (MDCPZ admin staff, julian’@mdpcz.co.zw, Dr Tawanda Mushawarima:tgwanda.mushawarima@gmail.com, Josephine Mwatukuya [former MDPCZ registrar) midpcz(@mdpcz.co.zw, Bishop Manyangadze{[MDPCZ admin staff), bish(@mdpcz.co.zw and Dr. Andrew Mataruse (the complainant): de.mataruse@email.com.
It is alleged that Gwaunza’s criminal intention was to intimidate and harass the complainant into desisting from clinical neurology at his surgery in Milton Park, Harare.