The bail proceedings for Moses Mpofu (49) and Mike Chimombe (43) commenced yesterday afternoon, as the State presented evidence from the investigating officer. The bail hearing is set to continue today.
Prosecutors allege that the two accused individuals forged a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) Tax Clearance Certificate and a National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Compliance Certificate in the name of Blackdeck Private Limited. They then allegedly attached these forged documents to a bidding document submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development for a tender to supply and deliver goats under the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme.
Investigations have revealed that the QR code and reference number on the NSSA Compliance Certificate belonged to a different company, and that Blackdeck Private Limited had been deregistered from the NSSA system in January 2016. Additionally, it was found that Blackdeck Private Limited had not been issued a valid ZIMRA Tax Clearance Certificate for the year 2021, and the QR code on the forged certificate belonged to a different company.
Acting on the misrepresentation, the Ministry of Lands contracted Blackdeck Private Limited on November 3, 2021. The ministry subsequently transferred a total of ZWL1.6 billion (approximately USD7.7 million) into the company’s bank account in two separate installments on April 21, 2022, and June 29, 2022.
However, following delays in the delivery of the goats, the ministry’s officials discovered that the accused individuals had only managed to mobilize 3,713 goats, despite claiming to have 32,500 goats ready for distribution. As a result, the ministry canceled the contract on August 29, 2022.
The accused individuals are alleged to have only supplied a total of 4,208 goats valued at approximately USD331,445 and converted the remaining USD7,380,751 to their personal use. Authorities have reported that none of the misappropriated funds have been recovered.
The bail hearing will continue tomorrow as the court examines the evidence presented by the State and considers the arguments from the defense.
