HARARE
–
The
High
Court
was
on
Monday
forced
to
postpone
trial
commencement
for
business
partners
Moses
Mpofu
and
Mike
Chimombe
for
the
umpteenth
time
after
the
latter
failed
to
show
up
with
lawyers
telling
the
court
that
he
developed
an
infection.
High
Court
judge
Pisirayi
Kwenda
heard
that
Chimombe
became
sick
during
the
weekend
and
his
condition
was
expected
to
have
improved
within
the
next
seven
days.
“The
basis
of
the
application
is
that
the
second
accused
person,
Mike
Chimombe
is
not
feeling
well
and
is
not
in
a
state
that
he
could
stand
trial.
I
received
a
document
dated
the
22nd
of
February
2025
in
which
a
medical
practitioner
attended
to
the
second
accused
person.
“The
document
indicates
that
the
accused
is
expected
to
recuperate
within
seven
days.
So
my
application
is
that
the
matter
be
postponed
to
Monday
next
week,
on
the
3rd
of
March
for
commencement
of
trial,”
Mugiya
submitted.
Trial
which
was
supposed
to
start
last
year
is
now
expected
to
start
next
Monday.
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
were
arrested
in
June
last
year
and
have
been
in
incarceration
since
then.
Prosecutors
say
the
pair’s
fraud
charges
emanate
from
tender
documents
they
submitted
through
a
company
called
Black
Deck
Private
Limited
in
September
2021
when
lands
and
agriculture
ministry
invited
bids
for
the
supply
of
632,001
goats
under
a
scheme
worth
US$87,757,168
to
distribute
goats
nationally.
Under
the
scheme,
beneficiaries
would
pass
on
the
animals
to
the
next
needy
household
after
kidding.
It
is
alleged
that
after
winning
the
tender,
it
was
Black
Deck
Livestock
and
Poultry
Farming,
an
unregistered
company,
which
signed
documents
with
the
ministry.
Mpofu
represented
the
company
and
Chimombe
acted
as
a
witness.
On
further
review
of
Black
Deck
Private
Limited’s
documents,
it
is
alleged
that
the
company
had
no
valid
tax
clearance
certificate
from
the
Zimbabwe
Revenue
Authority
for
2021,
and
that
a
QR
code
attached
to
the
National
Social
Security
compliance
certificate
belonged
to
a
different
company
called
Skywalk
Investments.
Both
documents
were
required
for
one
to
be
eligible
to
bid
for
the
tender.
Acting
on
the
misrepresentations,
prosecutors
say
the
ministry
went
on
to
pay
30
percent
of
the
contract
in
the
local
currency,
an
amount
of
ZWL1.6
billion
which
was
allegedly
equivalent
to
US$7,712,197
in
two
instalments
on
April
21,
2022,
and
June
29,
2022.
Following
delays
in
delivering
the
goats,
the
ministry
engaged
Black
Deck
and
was
informed
that
the
company
had
mobilised
32,500
goats
across
the
provinces
which
were
ready
to
be
distributed
to
the
final
beneficiaries.
A
verification
process
by
the
ministry
at
various
sites,
it
is
alleged,
showed
that
the
company
only
had
3,713
goats.
“After
the
ministry
of
lands
realised
that
they
were
being
deceived
by
the
accused
persons,
they
then
cancelled
the
contract
on
August
29,
2022,”
charges
the
NPA.
To
date,
the
prosecution
says
4,208
goats
worth
US$331,445.25
have
been
delivered
and
the
ministry
was
prejudiced
of
US$7,380,751.85.