Jailed businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe have alleged that external forces are influencing their prosecution, which has kept them in jail for several months. Their trial began before High Court Judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, amid tensions that led to the judge threatening action against Mpofu’s lawyer, Tapson Dzvetero, for attempting to amend the defense outline just before the trial.
Mpofu is challenging the legality of the Magistrates Court’s decision regarding his bail and liberty, arguing that the charges against him for failing to supply goats under a contract with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development infringe upon his constitutional rights. He claims he is being targeted by individuals who believe he leaked controversial audio messages from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, in which Chivayo implicated President Emmerson Mnangagwa in questionable dealings.
In his plea, Mpofu seeks a determination from the Constitutional Court on whether his prosecution is selectively targeting him due to these alleged leaks. He contends that the charges are not in pursuit of justice but are a form of punishment related to his involvement with the leaked materials, which included discussions about bribing government officials.
Mpofu’s defense maintains that he never made any misrepresentations to the Ministry regarding the supply of goats or the validity of the company Blackdeck Livestock Poultry and Farming. He asserts he had no intention to deceive the Ministry, nor did he provide any fraudulent documentation.
Chimombe, meanwhile, claims he had no association with Blackdeck and insists he is innocent of the charges. His lawyer, Ashiel Mugiya, argued that the state has not presented any evidence linking him to the alleged offense. Chimombe expressed confusion over his prosecution, stating that he was not involved in any misrepresentations or wrongdoing and had only attended a meeting with the Ministry after a dispute had arisen between Blackdeck and the Ministry.
Mugiya emphasized that the doctrine of common purpose, which the state seeks to invoke, cannot be applied without clear connections between the accused’s actions and those of their alleged accomplices. He stressed that Chimombe was not present during the preparation or submission of the bid documents and had no knowledge of the contract details.
As the trial proceeded, Lovemore Madhuku, representing Chimombe, expressed dissatisfaction with the composition of the bench, questioning the eligibility of the judges involved and calling for the trial to begin under proper constitutional guidelines. The court is expected to address these constitutional issues in the coming days before deciding whether the trial should continue or be referred to the Constitutional Court. Both Mpofu and Chimombe have denied the charges against them, and their legal teams are preparing to challenge the proceedings on various grounds as the trial unfolds.
In other news – Dr. Mark Chavez arrested for Matthew Perry’s death
Dr. Mark Chavez, one of two physicians charged in connection to the death of actor Matthew Perry, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine. The 54-year-old entered his plea on October 2 in a federal court in Los Angeles. Chavez was arrested alongside Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer known as the “ketamine queen” in North Hollywood, as part of an investigation into Perry’s tragic passing.
Chavez now faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, with his sentencing scheduled for April 2, 2025, according to NBC News. Read More
