Chimombe, Mpofu US$7 million goats fraud trial continues with two State witnesses testifying at the High Court

THE trial of business associates Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu continued on Wednesday, with two State witnesses shedding light on the tender document central to the US$7 million goats-fraud case.

This document, tied to the Presidential Goats Pass-On Scheme and awarded to Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, was earlier ruled admissible as an official Government record fit for criminal proceedings.

The prosecution worked to connect Mpofu and Chimombe to the tender document, while the defence aimed to distance them from it, particularly the forgery of a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate and a National Social Security Authority compliance certificate, both integral to the tender.

Ms Precious Isah, the fifth State witness and a procurement officer, testified that she received the document and conducted necessary checks before forwarding it to the evaluation committee.

During cross-examination by Advocate Tapson Dzvetero, Ms Isah revealed that the document was submitted by one Mr P H Kabisira, who signed the submission sheet.

She identified Mr T Chidembo as the individual whose signature appeared on the disputed bidding document.

When asked about the entity involved in the bidding process, Ms Isah stated it was Blackdeck Pvt Ltd, noting that Blackdeck Pvt Ltd and Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming were regarded as a single company.

This position was consistent with her earlier testimony, led by prosecutor Mr Whisper Mabhaudhi.

She acknowledged that the company details in the document referred to Blackdeck Pvt Ltd but admitted under cross-examination that Mpofu neither submitted nor signed for the document.

Mrs Chenai Garise-Nheta, deputy director of legal services, also testified, stating that she chaired the evaluation committee responsible for recommending companies that met the required standards.

She told the court her committee scrutinised the tender document, which had already passed the preliminary committee’s review.

“We looked at the papers in the document and examined the report from the preliminary committee and were satisfied,” she said.

Mrs Garise-Nheta explained that the tax clearance and NSSA compliance certificates appeared authentic upon inspection and bore the expected security features.

Her committee had no reason to suspect irregularities, as these documents matched others they were accustomed to handling.

However, she admitted that the evaluation process did not extend beyond verifying the visible security features.

She further clarified that Government transactions are conducted only with companies adhering to statutory obligations, such as registration and compliance with the law.

Fraudulent or forged documents, she noted, result in immediate disqualification and contract cancellation.

Mrs Garise-Nheta emphasised that Blackdeck Pvt Ltd trading as Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming was treated as a single entity during the evaluation process.

She revealed that she only discovered the documents were forged when Blackdeck encountered challenges related to specific performance.

It was during this period of scrutiny and dispute that the truth unravelled, exposing the fraudulent nature of the documents that had previously passed unnoticed under her committee’s evaluation.

Under cross-examination by lawyer Mr John Koto, she conceded that Mpofu could not be linked to any forged documents or direct involvement in the tender.

Similarly, Mr Arshiel Mugiya cross-examined the witnesses, who were unable to connect Chimombe to Blackdeck Pvt Ltd’s tender.

The trial continues today with the last two State witnesses testifying before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting with assessors Ms Margaret Chitsiga and Mr Temba Kuwanda.

The tender document, reportedly submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, remains a pivotal element in the scheme to supply 632 001 goats as part of a US$87,7 million project.