ZACC Investigators Said Search For Chimombe And Mpofu Was Challenging
Authorities faced difficulties in locating the alleged fraud suspects and business partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, with the intent of apprehending them on Tuesday, Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa was told Thursday.
Speaking in court while opposing the accused persons’ bail application, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigating officer Gamuchirai Zimunhu said the two men evaded arrest on Tuesday.
Zimunhu said Chimombe and Mpofu later promised to visit the ZACC offices by 6 PM on Tuesday, but they ultimately failed to show up as agreed. She said (via ZimLive):
Public disorder may arise; people will no longer trust the justice system in that ZACC catches and releases people.
Accused may abscond from court. On Tuesday 25 June, we spent the greater part of the day manhunting for them and they were not at their place of residence.
We called them on Monday after they left. When Mr Chapwanya (the other IO) called Mr Mugiya to advise him that we wanted to see his client, Mr Chimombe said he was out of Harare and Mpofu was at his farm in Zvimba.
He promised to bring them before 6 PM but they didn’t come and Mugiya promised to bring them on Tuesday and we waited for them up to mid-day.
Mr Chapwanya advised Mugiya that his clients had turned hostile, which resulted in teams being deployed to manhunt the accused persons.
Chimombe and Mpofu were finally arrested on Wednesday around 10 AM after they finally handed themselves in.
Zimunhu also said she was not satisfied with the address given by Mpofu. She said:
I’m not sure if he stays at the Greendale house because the house is not yet complete. The gardener was present when we went there.
Chimombe and Mpofu were on Friday, June 28, ordered to spend the weekend in remand prison after a bail ruling in their case was deferred to Monday, July 01.
The two individuals are accused of defrauding the government of $7 million that was earmarked for the Presidential Goat Scheme.
Chimombe and Mpofu allegedly failed to supply goats despite receiving full payment from the Government.
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