HARARE – Lawyers representing property tycoon Frank Buyanga have accused Chantelle Muteswa, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his 4-year-old son, of filing a malicious police report against the businessman after she allegedly refused to release the boy’s passport to allow him to travel to South Africa for the Easter holiday with the father.

Buyanga approached the police on April 19 accusing Muteswa of violating a High Court court order requiring her to release the minor’s passport.

Muteswa dramatically turned the tables and accused the businessman of unlawfully keeping the boy in his custody after picking him up from school. A Harare magistrate ruled in her favour, in the process ordering Buyanga’s arrest for contempt of court.

Lawyers representing the businessman are crying foul and claim Muteswa was nowhere to be found for seven days and did not collect the boy from school, prompting school authorities to call Buyanga who went on to collect the child.

“We have a chain of emails sent to Chantelle requesting to drop off the child into her custody. She was nowhere to be found which is why the school ended up calling Frank to pick the boy up. As per law, the child could only be surrendered into her custody but she was inexplicably unavailable, possibly in an attempt to frustrate our client,” lawyer Admire Rubaya said in response to emailed questions.

“What is clear in this instance is that the boy was unable to travel outside the country to enjoy a holiday with his father despite clear arrangements having been made beforehand. Our client has always acted lawfully and has been unfairly vilified in the media for no reason other than him wanting to be a father to his child after parting ways with the mother.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the criminal allegations instigated by Chantelle are malicious, frivolous and vexatious. If anything, our client is a victim of the law which does not recognise that children born out of wedlock are also entitled to the love and care of their biological father.”

Child custody battle … Chantelle Muteswa accused by Buyanga’s lawyers of refusing with child’s passport

Rubaya said Buyanga had filed a complaint with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) against one Superintendent Mavhudzi after he allegedly caused the unlawful release of Muteswa from police custody.

“The criminal allegations against our client are retaliation following a report to ZACC regarding the corrupt conduct of Mavhudzi in connivance with Chantelle in which she was unlawfully released from police custody at 9PM,” Rubaya said.

Separately, the Bugatti-pushing businessman is facing a lawsuit from a woman who accuses him of unlawfully selling her property after she borrowed money from his company.

A court recently granted her leave to serve summons on Buyanga in the British and South African media after previous attempts at physical service failed. – Kukurigo