The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has launched an investigation into the Presidential Goat Scheme scandal, in which two individuals, Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, are accused of theft of trust property and money laundering.
According to the investigation report, the accused persons were paid US$40 million by the Treasury to supply and deliver goats to support underprivileged households across the country. However, instead of providing the goats, they allegedly converted the funds for their use, purchasing luxurious houses and vehicles.
The investigation has so far revealed that the Government of Zimbabwe entered into a contract agreement with Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, represented by Moses Mpofu, valued at US$87.7 million for the supply and delivery of 632,001 goats over five years. However, it was discovered that there is no company registered in Zimbabwe as Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, and the agreement was made with a different company, Blackdeck Private Limited.
The investigation has also revealed that the Ministry of Lands transferred ZWL$1.6 billion (US$7.7 million) into Blackdeck’s CABS bank account towards the supply and delivery of the goats. However, it is not clear how much of this amount was used for the intended purpose.
ZACC is still awaiting documentation from the Ministry of Lands and CABS bank to complete the investigation.
The accused persons are charged with theft of trust property as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 and money laundering as defined in Section 8(2) of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24].
