Former Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Ministry permanent secretary John Basera testified on Thursday in the US$7.9 million fraud trial of businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who stand accused of failing to deliver goats after receiving payment.
Appearing before the High Court in Harare, Basera revealed that the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) had issued a “no objection” letter when the deal was signed between the ministry and Chimombe and Mpofu’s company, Blackdeck, in 2021.
According to Basera, Blackdeck had been the lowest bidder, and the tender evaluation committee approved the contract.
However, the ministry only discovered last year, following non-delivery, that the company had submitted forged ZIMRA documents.
Under the Presidential Goat Scheme, Blackdeck was expected to supply 600,000 goats, but Basera testified that fewer than 3,000 were actually provided.
Initially, the agreed price per goat ranged between US$175 and US$250. Said Basera:
As the accounting officer going with principle of value for money, I realised that US$7 million for 600,000 goats was exorbitant.
Together with our team we discussed that even if PRAZ had made these recommendations, it was not okay.
I suggested that we have a meeting with Blackdeck to discuss the price of each goat because their price range was between US$175 and US$250.
We engaged the supplier and reduced the prices to US$75 and US$95 per goat depending on the breed and we agreed to proceed with the deal.
Basera testified that Chimombe did not sign any official documents related to the deal. Instead, the paperwork was signed by Mpofu, with Tinashe Chimombe acting as a witness.
He further stated that Blackdeck received ZW$1.9 billion in two instalments, April and June 2022, equivalent to US$7.9 million at the time of the transaction.
Basera told the court that later, the company claimed to have secured 32,000 goats, which they kept in holding pens. However, when ministry officials visited to verify, they were stunned to find fewer than 3,000 goats.
This led to a dispute, with the ministry demanding restitution or guarantees if Blackdeck failed to supply the full 600,000 goats as stipulated in the contract.
The trial resumes on Friday, with lawyers set to cross-examine Basera.
More: ZimLive
I smell a rat here
Both guys vane ma face asiri emari that tender was too big for them. Dei vakavaka tender you kanya zvidhina zvedanga rembudzi. So varikusungwa pasina akadya kana $10k. Vano pumhuka vakaona $ 1k ava. Ngavaregererwe vaende.