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Courtroom drama intensifies in Chimombe, Mpofu fraud trial
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The legal battle between business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe took a dramatic turn yesterday, as the defence team successfully challenged the inclusion of two assessors who were set to oversee their trial.
In a decision that further delayed the proceedings, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda upheld the defence's objection and excused the assessors, resulting in the postponement of the trial until Monday next week.
The courtroom tension escalated as the defence split into two forces. Advocate Tapson Dzvetero led the challenge in the High Court, while Professor Lovemore Madhuku pursued a bail appeal in the Supreme Court.
In the High Court, Advocate Dzvetero argued against the assessors' presence, asserting that their inclusion would not be appropriate for the trial. Justice Kwenda agreed, dismissing the assessors and allowing the defence to proceed with its objections.
Meanwhile, in the Supreme Court, Justice Alfas Chitakunye deferred the bail appeal hearing, adding to the mounting delays in the protracted case. Mpofu and Chimombe have been entangled in legal manoeuvres since their formal arraignment on fraud charges in October 2024.
The two men have been employing various legal strategies to slow the trial, including a failed attempt to elevate the case to the Constitutional Court in December. Their claim of fundamental rights violations was rejected, allowing the trial to proceed. Subsequently, their repeated bail applications, citing "changed circumstances," were also dismissed.
Mpofu and Chimombe face serious charges of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme in connection with the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme, a government initiative aimed at improving rural communities. The prosecution alleges that the pair forged compliance certificates from ZIMRA and NSSA under the name of Blackdeck Private Limited, in an effort to secure a government contract to supply goats.
Investigations revealed that Blackdeck had been deregistered from the NSSA system as early as January 2016, undermining the authenticity of the documents. These forgeries, which included QR codes and company identifiers linked to a separate, unrelated business, were allegedly used to falsely gain access to a lucrative government tender.
The trial of Mpofu and Chimombe is expected to resume next week, as the intricate legal strategies and courtroom drama continue to unfold.
In a decision that further delayed the proceedings, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda upheld the defence's objection and excused the assessors, resulting in the postponement of the trial until Monday next week.
The courtroom tension escalated as the defence split into two forces. Advocate Tapson Dzvetero led the challenge in the High Court, while Professor Lovemore Madhuku pursued a bail appeal in the Supreme Court.
In the High Court, Advocate Dzvetero argued against the assessors' presence, asserting that their inclusion would not be appropriate for the trial. Justice Kwenda agreed, dismissing the assessors and allowing the defence to proceed with its objections.
The two men have been employing various legal strategies to slow the trial, including a failed attempt to elevate the case to the Constitutional Court in December. Their claim of fundamental rights violations was rejected, allowing the trial to proceed. Subsequently, their repeated bail applications, citing "changed circumstances," were also dismissed.
Mpofu and Chimombe face serious charges of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme in connection with the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme, a government initiative aimed at improving rural communities. The prosecution alleges that the pair forged compliance certificates from ZIMRA and NSSA under the name of Blackdeck Private Limited, in an effort to secure a government contract to supply goats.
Investigations revealed that Blackdeck had been deregistered from the NSSA system as early as January 2016, undermining the authenticity of the documents. These forgeries, which included QR codes and company identifiers linked to a separate, unrelated business, were allegedly used to falsely gain access to a lucrative government tender.
The trial of Mpofu and Chimombe is expected to resume next week, as the intricate legal strategies and courtroom drama continue to unfold.
Source - the herald
