The Ministry of
Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development entered into a
contract in November 2021 with Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming.
However, Mr
Bevin Mutsikamabwe, principal examiner and registrar of companies at the Deeds
Office, revealed that no such entity is registered in the official records.
Mr
Mutsikamabwe, the third prosecution witness, testified in the trial of business
partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who are accused of defrauding the State
of more than US$7 million under the Presidential Goats Pass-On Scheme.
While under
oath, Mr Mutsikamabwe confirmed that Blackdeck Private Limited, which initially
tendered for the scheme, was a duly registered company.
He stated that
the company was registered on February 12, 2015.
However, he
clarified that Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming, the entity named in the
contract, could not be located in the company registry.
“I searched in
the system and I could not find it in our database,” said Mr Mutsikamabwe.
Led by
prosecutor Mr Whisper Mabhaudhi, the witness explained that trading companies
are issued certificates for assumed names and are permitted to use only one
such name.
During
cross-examination, Advocate Tapson Dzvetero, representing Mpofu, questioned the
witness about the Companies and Other Business Entities Act (Chapter 24:31),
enacted in 2020.
Mr Mutsikamabwe
acknowledged that prior to this law, the registration of assumed names was not
mandatory.
“I do not
dispute that,” said Mr Mutsikamabwe, conceding the defence’s assertion that the
regulatory requirement for assumed names did not apply when Blackdeck Private
Limited was registered in 2015.
The trial
revolves around allegations that Chimombe and Mpofu used Blackdeck Livestock
and Poultry Farming, a non-existent entity, to secure a tender to supply 632
001 goats under a US$87.7 million scheme.
Justice
Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting with assessors Margaret Chitsiga and Temba Kuwana,
adjourned the trial to tomorrow. Herald
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