Harare, Zimbabwe | Bail proceedings commenced this afternoon in the case against Moses Mpofu, 49, and Mike Chimombe, 43. The State presented viva voce evidence from the investigating officer, outlining the severe allegations of forgery and fraud.
The bail hearing will continue tomorrow.
Mpofu and Chimombe stand accused of forging a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) tax clearance certificate and a National Social Security Authority (NSSA) compliance certificate.
These forged documents were allegedly in the name of Blackdeck Private Limited and were attached to a bidding document submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development.
The submission was for a tender to supply and deliver goats for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme.
The State alleges that Mpofu and Chimombe falsely represented that their company was fully compliant with ZIMRA and NSSA requirements. Investigations revealed that the QR code and the reference on the NSSA compliance certificate belonged to a different company.
Furthermore, it was discovered that Blackdeck Private Limited had been deregistered from the NSSA system in January 2016 and had not been issued a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate for the year 2021. The QR code on the forged tax clearance certificate was also found to be associated with another company.
Based on these misrepresentations, the Ministry of Lands contracted Blackdeck Private Limited on November 3, 2021. Subsequently, the Ministry transferred ZWL 901,294,200 on April 21, 2022, and ZWL 698,705,800 on June 29, 2022, into Blackdeck’s bank account. The total amount, ZWL 1.6 billion, was equivalent to USD 7,712,197 at the time.
Concerns arose following delays in the delivery of the goats. Ministry officials engaged with Mpofu and Chimombe multiple times, during which the accused claimed to have mobilized 32,500 goats across various provinces, ready for distribution to beneficiaries.
However, a verification process revealed a stark discrepancy: the accused had only 3,713 goats at their holding sites.
Also read: Here Is Everything We Know About Fraudster Businessman Moses Mpofu!
The Ministry subsequently canceled the contract on August 29, 2022, upon discovering the shortfall. By that time, the accused had supplied only 4,208 goats valued at USD 331,445 and had allegedly converted USD 7,380,751 to their personal use.
None of the funds have been recovered.
The bail proceedings will continue, with the court yet to determine whether Mpofu and Chimombe will be released pending trial.
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