Harare, Zimbabwe | Local businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu have reportedly been betrayed by their business partner, Wicknell Chivayo, as he seeks to protect himself and shield high-ranking government officials allegedly implicated in the US$100 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) deal.
According to The NewsHawks, a government source indicated that while Chimombe and Mpofu do have legal issues related to the US$7.7 million Presidential Goats Scheme fraud and the US$9.2 million Harare City Council street lights tender scam, their primary misstep was confronting Chivayo over the US$100 million ZEC deal, which led to the exposure of corruption among senior officials. The official commented:
“Chimombe and Mpofu may have cases to answer, but their situation is more about political dynamics involving top government officials rather than straightforward corruption.
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These corruption charges were known for a while, but they were only activated after the ZEC scandal came to light. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) was already aware of their involvement in those tenders, but action was only taken after the ZEC controversy was exposed.
Had they not confronted Chivayo, these cases might never have surfaced. The core issue is that they are being punished for revealing Chivayo’s role, which inadvertently implicated senior officials in this major corruption scandal.”
The NewsHawks further reported that the ZEC scandal has implicated several high-profile individuals, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has close ties to Wicknell Chivayo, Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Isaac Moyo, the President’s daughter Chido, and others accused of misusing public funds during elections.
Chimombe and Mpofu reportedly had a falling out with Chivayo over payments, which eventually exposed these officials. Despite ZACC’s ongoing investigation into the ZEC scandal, Chimombe and Mpofu have not been arrested in connection with it; instead, they were detained for their roles in the Presidential Goats Scheme and the street lights tender.
It is alleged that Chivayo and senior officials are maneuvering behind the scenes to ensure Chimombe and Mpofu take the blame for bringing the corruption to light.
The businessmen were lured back to Zimbabwe from a business trip in China with promises of protection, but their return—against the advice of their lawyers—resulted in their arrest.
Friends and associates had warned them that coming back could lead to their scapegoating.
Sources told The NewsHawks that Chimombe and Mpofu have been repeatedly denied bail not based on the legal strength of their cases, but as punishment for not conforming to the expected discretion when dealing with powerful figures.
On Wednesday, the High Court rejected their bail appeal for the second time in the goats scam case, and their bail request for the street lights case was also denied.
Chimombe and Mpofu are due back in court on September 12 for a routine remand in the street lights case, with their trial for the goats case set to begin on October 1.
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