THE trial of Harare businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, accused of US$7,7 million fraud after they allegedly siphoned the money from the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme, is set to open today at the High Court.
The two will be tried before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda sitting with assessors and the trial is scheduled to run until Friday.
Chimombe and Mpofu have unsuccessfully applied for bail at both the magistrates' courts and High Court since their arrest in July this year.
Charges against the two arose after they allegedly forged a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate and a NSSA compliance certificate in the name of Blackdeck Private Limited and attached them in a bidding document which they submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development for a tender for the supply and delivery of goats for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme.
They misrepresented that the company was in full compliance with ZIMRA and NSSA requirements.
However, later investigations showed that the QR code and the reference on the NSSA compliance certificate were issued to a different company, and that Blackdeck (Pvt) Ltd was deregistered from the NSSA system in January 2016.
Further, investigations revealed that Blackdeck (Pvt) Ltd was not issued with a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate for 2021 and that the QR code on the forged tax clearance certificate belonged to a different company.
Acting on the misrepresentation on November 16, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture entered into a contract agreement with Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming for the supply and delivery of 632 001 goats for the Presidential Goats pass-on Scheme valued at US$87 757 168.
On the contract, Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming was represented by Mpofu and Tinashe Chimombe who was his witness.
The Ministry contracted Blackdeck (Pvt) on November 30 2021 and transferred Z$901 294 200 on April 21 2022 and Z$698 705 800 on 29 June 29 2022.
The total amount was Z$1,6 billion, which was equivalent to US$7 712 197.
Following delays in the delivery of the goats, Ministry officials made several engagements with Chimombe and Mpofu, who misrepresented that they had mobilised 32 500 goats across the provinces which were ready to be distributed to the beneficiaries.
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However, a verification process revealed that the two only had 3 713 goats in their holding sites, and so the Ministry consequently cancelled the contract on 29 August 2022.
The accused persons only supplied 4 208 goats valued at US$331 445 and went on to convert the remaining US$7 380 751 to their personal use.
The two are facing another separate charge of fraud involving a US$9,2 million deal emanating from the City of Harare street lights tender through Juluka Enndo Joint Venture, but again they are accused of submitting falsified documents while bidding for a Harare City Council tender to rehabilitate street lights. The criminal matter is still pending.
Recently, Prophet Passion Java filed a civil suit against the two, accusing them of defrauding him of US$300 000 in connection with a street lights tender for the City of Harare.
The allegations involve a US$9,2 million tender awarded to Juluka Enndo Joint Venture, a company linked to Mpofu, who is accused of submitting forged documents during the bidding process. Java claims that he was lured into investing in the deal through a separate company, Juluka Projects and Plant Hire.
Java, a prominent figure known for his religious and business endeavours, alleges that Mpofu and Chimombe misled him into investing in the lucrative contract, leading to significant financial losses.
