High Court trial date set for fraud-accused Chimombe and Mpofu

ZIMSPHERE 

HARARE – Moses Mpofu, 49, and Mike Chimombe, 43, who are facing fraud charges, have been indicted to stand trial at the Harare High Court’s Anti-Corruption Court. Proceedings are scheduled to commence on October 1 and continue through October 4, 2024 on a continuous roll. 

Moses Mpofu (left) and Mike Chimombe (right) 

This is in accordance with Section 65 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which mandates that individuals can only be tried in the High Court if committed for trial there by a magistrate.

The State accuses Mpofu and Chimombe of forging a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate and a NSSA compliance certificate under the name Blackdeck Private Limited. 

These forged documents were allegedly included in a tender bid submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development. 

The tender involved the supply and delivery of goats for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme.

They purportedly misrepresented that Blackdeck Private Limited was fully compliant with ZIMRA and NSSA requirements, leading the Ministry of Lands to contract the company based on these false claims. 

The two were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), which claimed that it was an uphill battle to have them apprehended.