Online Reporter
Mathew Masinge
THE State, led by Whisper Mabhaudhi, says it is ready for trial in the high-profile case in which businessmen — Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe are facing fraud charges — and has demonstrated its intentions by identifying SEVEN witnesses, who will lead evidence, on February 20.
Mpofu and Chimombe are accused of misusing millions of dollars from the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme.
The seven witnesses are Dr Remigio Makonde, Titus Mbambi, Fungai Kapfunde, Bevan Mutsikamahwe, Precious Isa, Aban Nhundurwa and Chenai Garise.
The witnesses have been staggered and are expected to give evidence from February 20 to 26.
Mpofu and Chimombe were back in court yesterday.
However, the unavailability of Mpofu’s lawyer Advocate Tapson Dzvetero, as he is attending the funeral of a relative who was electrocuted at the ZRP Support Unit, resulted in the postponement of the businessmen’s fraud case to next week on Thursday.
Advocate Dzvetero is attending the funeral of a relative, a police officer, who was electrocuted on Sunday.
The officer, an Assistant Inspector, died on Sunday night.
A lawyer, who stood in for Advocate Dzvetero, successfully applied to have the matter postponed to February 20, owing to the bereavement.
Chimombe’s lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, consented to the application to postpone the case to February 20.
Chimombe and Mpofu lost their bid for bail last month before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda who ruled that the two, who are men of means, would abscond trial if they were admitted to bail.
However, the duo is today expected to appear at the Supreme Court for determination of their bail ruling in another matter.
Mathew Masinge