RAPAPORT... African Consolidated Resources (ACR), the junior diamond mining company at odds with Zimbabwe over Marange diamond claims, reportedly filed a court action against mines minister Obert Mpofu for allowing the sale of rough diamonds. ACR has claimed all along that it rightfully owns mining claims in the Chiadzwa diamond fields, and that the Zimabwe Supreme Court ordered that no rough sales would take place until the ownership issue was resolved.
Mpofu permitted Mbada Diamonds and Canadile Resources to mine and process rough from Chiadzwa and following Kimberley Process approval to sell rough diamonds, the first sale was held in August. ACR claimed that Mpofu violated the Supreme Court order from earlier this year.
ACR wants Mpofu to face High Court action for allowing rough sales. ACR also wants the High Court to throw out the appeal made by Mpofu, over Chiadzwa's legal ownership.
"As a government minister he has a legal and moral duty to see to it that orders of (the High Court) and of the Supreme Court are obeyed and see to it that the integrity of (the courts) is protected, by not openly and publicly acting in defiance of a court order," according to the argument filed by ACR's legal team.
Source: RapNet
