Muhoni blames Luke Masomere for his woes

LAZARUS MUHONI, one of the executive members suspended by Manica Diamonds in the wake of the explosion of a corruption scandal at the club, has blamed coach Luke Masomere for his woes.

The former Warriors star and fellow committee member, Lloyd Chinawa, were suspended on Wednesday for allegedly receiving kickbacks from players who had moved to the club.

Yesterday, Muhoni gave his side of the story.

“I felt that it’s high time I should say my side of the story since this issue is already in the media circles,’’ he said.

“Luke Masomere hates me, he told me that he wished me and Lloyd Chinawa dead. He is plotting to remove us from our positions, together with the chairman Masimba Chihowa. “The two are very corrupt. “He told me that we took his job of recruiting players but we were appointed to select the players by the club and the negotiating team has all the executives, include Chihowa.

“The coach is hurting that he is no longer signing players and he is known everywhere, even at How Mine, he was sacked because he was forcing players to pay over $3000 (as kickbacks).

“They want us fired because we are blocking them from being corrupt.’’

He said the money he received from the players were what they owed him and were a token of appreciation for his decision to accommodate them at his house.

“I stayed with four of the players for six months at my house after the team said they were not able to accommodate them,’’ he said.

“The players i ncluded Tendai Mukono, Tafadzwa Phiri and Gilbert Timothy.

“I stayed with them, providing them with food, clothes and sportswear and I bought them shooters that were cost- ing $250 and the other $150 using my own money.

“After they got signed, Mukono and Phiri gave me $ 100 each and they sent it into my wife’s EcoCash account.

“I spent more than $7 000 on them when I was staying with them, so they can never be able to repay that money.

“Players are not happy because Masomere is threatening to expel them from the club and he intimidated all the players.’’

No comment could be obtained from Masomere yesterday.