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Zvikomborero Parafini
BUSINESSMEN Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe will spend another week in custody pending their bail ruling that has now been set for next Tuesday.
The duo’s lawyers finished cross examining the investigating officer yesterday.
Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje will file his written submissions tomorrow and the duo’s lawyers will respond on Friday.
Magistrate Gofa will hand down her ruling on July 16.
The court heard that in 2021, the Government introduced the Presidential Goat Pass-on scheme targeting to alleviate poverty among the less privileged households across the country’s 10 provinces.
The Government had targeted to buy special goat breeds for households, and their village heads, and it anticipated to procure more than 500 000 goats for this scheme.
The Government mandated the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development to implement this programme.
The State claims Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, which does not have a valid ZIMRA Tax Clearance certificate and National Social Security Authority compliance certificate required for a company to be eligible to bid in that tender, took part.
The state alleges the company forged a ZIMRA Tax clearance certificate and a Social Security registration number, which were attached to the bidding document.
The company won the tender and the Ministry paid an equivalent of US$7 712 197 into its bank accounts for the purchasing of the goats.
However, it was later found out that the company did not have the capacity to deliver the product and had only 3713 goats in its holding sites.
The company delivered 4 208 goats.
Online Reporter