Chimombe, Mpofu face property seizure over US$7 million fraud conviction

By Staff Reporter

JAILED businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe are facing potential property seizure following their conviction in a US$7 million fraud scandal.

Chimombe and Mpofu, who could face a minimum of 20 years behind bars, are now awaiting sentencing on November 17, with the State announcing plans to seek a confiscation order in terms of Section 50(1) of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24].

This provision allows authorities to identify, freeze, and forfeit properties believed to have been obtained through illegal means. Prosecutors allege that some of Mpofu and Chimombe’s assets were purchased using money from the fraudulent goat tender deal.

“We had given notice in terms of section 50(1) of the Money Laundering Act,” said prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi while seeking postponement of the case on Friday.

Mabhaudhi said the State’s application is complete but has been put on hold until the court’s written judgment is uploaded.

“Once the judgment is uploaded, then the State will file its application,” he added.

Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who convicted the two said their separate judgments will be available by next Wednesday, and they will appear in court  on November 14 for pre-sentencing proceedings and sentencing on November 17.

The businessmen were convicted last week after spending over a year behind bars.

The State proved that Mpofu and Chimombe used falsified documents under their company, Blackdeck Private Limited, to win a US$87 million government tender for supplying goats in 2021.

The contract was fraudulently signed by an unregistered entity, Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, and investigations later showed their tax and compliance certificates were fake and belonged to another company SkyWalk Investments.

Based on the false claims, the ministry paid ZWL$1.6 billion (about US$7.7 million) to the company, which later failed to deliver the promised goats, falsely claiming to have sourced 32,500 when only 3,713 were found.