Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, local business partners, are still in detention after their involvement in the US$88 million Goatgate incident.
The two were jailed for a second night after appearing in Harare’s Rotten Row Magistrates’ Court to apply for release on a fraud accusation.
Mpofu and Chimombe were arrested on Wednesday morning and brought before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa. The bail application and ruling were postponed until Thursday.
The incident focuses around a five-year contract to furnish over 6,000 goats that Mpofu and Chimombe allegedly failed to fulfill.
According to investigations from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), they exaggerated their capabilities by claiming access to 32,500 goats when they only possessed 3,713. This deception resulted in the revocation of the agreement with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development.
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Despite receiving payment for 4,208 goats for $331,445, Mpofu and Chimombe are accused of embezzling $7,380,751 for personal gain. Mpofu believes they were paid RTGS1.6 billion, which was comparable to US$4 million at the time, and that Chimombe and four others were agents rather than principals.
The defendants were denied bail and remained in custody pending further legal proceedings.
