By Panashe Divine Karidzagundi
BUSINESSMEN Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe have been jailed for defrauding the State of more than US$7 million under the controversial Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme.
High Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda sentenced Mpofu to 22 years’ imprisonment, of which seven years were suspended, three on condition of good behaviour and four on condition of restitution, leaving him with an effective 15 years behind bars.
Chimombe received a 17-year sentence, with five years suspended, three for good behaviour and two on condition of restitution, resulting in an effective 12-year jail term.
The pair was found guilty of misappropriating funds allocated to the national livestock empowerment programme, which was designed to support rural farmers through the distribution of goats across the country.
Investigations revealed that despite receiving millions of dollars, the two failed to procure and deliver the required livestock, prejudicing the State of over US$7 million.
Delivering sentence, Justice Kwenda said the offences involved a “serious breach of public trust” and constituted an “attack on national development efforts meant to uplift vulnerable communities.”
The sentencing brings a dramatic close to a high-profile trial that has drawn intense public interest due to the scale of the alleged corruption and the prominence of the accused.
Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors argued that the actions of the two businessmen crippled a key agricultural initiative intended to boost rural incomes and improve food security.
Mpofu and Chimombe, through their lawyers, immediately gave notice that they will appeal both conviction and sentence, maintaining their innocence and insisting that the State’s case was flawed.
As they begin their prison terms, the appeal process is expected to unfold in the coming weeks, setting the stage for what could be another fiercely contested legal battle.