Businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu are facing renewed legal challenges as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested them on fresh charges related to the use of false documents.
Already in custody due to previous fraud allegations involving US$7 million from the Presidential Goat Scheme, the pair now confront additional accusations that could extend their detention.
Their recent hopes for bail were dashed after their legal team appealed for release at the High Court on Monday. The new arrest threatens to disrupt their plans, even if the court rules in their favor.
On Wednesday morning, ZACC revealed that Chimombe and Mpofu, of Juluka Enndo Joint Venture, were detained for allegedly submitting false documents while bidding for a Harare City Council tender to repair street lights.
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Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu being escorted into a prison van, en route to remand prison, following the court’s decision to deny them bail
The City of Harare had re-advertised the tender in May 2024, and Chimombe and Mpofu are accused of misrepresenting their compliance with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (PPDPA).
Investigations found that their financial report was supposedly audited by a consultancy that was not registered.
In addition to Chimombe and Mpofu, ZACC has also arrested five Harare City Council officials connected to the $9.2 million street lights tender scandal.
The officials—Never Murerwa, Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu, Tawanda Mutenhabundo, and Hosiah Chisango—are charged with criminal abuse of office for allegedly awarding the contract to an ineligible company.
Last week, magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa denied bail to Chisango’s associates, citing concerns that their release could hinder ongoing investigations.
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