Jailed business partners, Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe Thursday successfully sought postponement of their trial to October 22 after telling the court that they want to put their house in order before they mount their application for referral of their case to the Constitutional Court.

Among other things, the two want to make a joint application.

They feel constitutional issues have arisen as such the apex court should hear them out before they are prosecuted.

The presiding judge, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda allowed the postponement after Witness Mabhaudhi representing the State did not object to the request by the two.

"The accused will submit their application for referral to the Constitutional Court by Tuesday 8 October, the state will file its notice of opposition Monday 14 October 2024. Parties will therefore appear before this court on the 22nd for argument of this case," said Kwenda in granting the application.

Mpofu and Chimombe are facing fraud charges after they allegedly duped the government of US$7 million in a foiled goats tender deal.

They have been languishing in jail since their arrest in June this year.

The two contend that they are being punished by powerful external forces who have personal issues against them.

They told Kwenda that their legal troubles began after Wicknell Chivayo's audios leaked online - in the voice notes the ex-con tenderpreneur suggested that he had bribed senior government officials to win election-related tenders worth over US$100 million.