By Own Correspondent| Owner of Trauma Medical Centre, a health facility offering medical services to especially trauma victims, Dr Vivek Solanki, has agreed to pay $25 000 in damages for defaming Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.

Solanki will also have to publish an apology in the three major daily papers, The Herald, NewsDay and Daily News.

Mtetwa had sued Solanki for $250 000 after he had claimed that Mtetwa had bribed a National Prosecution Authority (NPA) senior officer with $150 000.

Solanki later apologised and retracted his statement and opted for an out of court settlement which will result in him paying $25 000 instead.

Mtetwa has already donated the money to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Part of a consent order handed down by Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa in July reads:

“The defendant (Dr Solanki) be and is hereby ordered to pay USD25 000 to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, in monthly instalments of USD5 000 with effect from 1st September 2018 and thereafter by the 1st of each month, until the amount is paid in full.”