A SPECIALIST neurologist was on Wednesday brought before a Harare magistrate charged with contravening provisions of the Data Protection Act after he was accused of blackmailing a colleague, Andrew Mataruse.
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 as a specialist physician with the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ).
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 Andrew Mataruse is not a clinically-trained neurologist.
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 Mushawarima. Secondly, Tawanda Mushawarima is a fully flaged (sic) neurologist who doesn't need to be supervised by myself or by Mataruse who isn't a clinically trained neurologist.
“However, council feels it’s in Mushawarima’s interest that he is supervised by someone who has never seen the entrance of a neurology training centre. 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 Julian Mashingaidze (MDCPZ admin staff, julian’@mdpcz.co.zw, 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 Andrew Mataruse (the complainant): de.mataruse@email.com.
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It is alleged that Gwaunza’s criminal intent was to intimidate and harass the complainant to desist from undertaking clinical neurology duties at his surgery in Milton Park, Harare.
