Online Reporter
Fidelis Munyoro-Chief Court Reporter
The embattled pair of Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu at the centre of the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme scandal will have their bail hearing on January 3, next year.
They are seeking bail under altered circumstances, as their legal saga continues.
Originally scheduled for January 17 next year, the bail hearing was hastily brought forward after the defence team alerted Judge President Mary Dube to a critical legal requirement that bail applications must be heard within 48 hours of filing, with appeals needing resolution within 96 hours.
This revelation set off a flurry of activity, culminating in the hearing being rescheduled for yesterday.
However, the prosecution, unprepared to argue the matter, requested a postponement to January 3 to allow time for a comprehensive response.
Both sides agreed to the delay, setting the stage for further courtroom drama.
At the heart of this high-stakes case are allegations of fraud.
Chimombe and Mpofu stand charged with defrauding the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme of a staggering US$7,7 million.
Earlier this month, their legal manoeuvres to halt proceedings and refer the case to the Constitutional Court were met with sharp criticism.
Justice Pisirayi Kwenda dismissed their application outright, branding it as “frivolous and vexatious.”
The duo had argued that their arrest, detention, and pre-trial processes violated constitutional rights, necessitating intervention by the highest court in the land.
But Justice Kwenda saw the attempt as little more than a calculated effort to delay the inevitable trial, finding no legal merit in their claims.
This dismissal marked yet another twist in a case riddled with procedural wrangling.
The trial, initially set to commence in early October, was derailed by the defence’s Constitutional Court referral application.
With that hurdle now removed, the trial is set to begin on February 10 next year — though the possibility of further delays looms large.
Undeterred by the High Court’s ruling, the defence team is reportedly preparing a fresh, direct application to the Constitutional Court.
Their aim is to revisit the alleged constitutional violations, in the hope that the court will convene a panel to review their claims.
Should the panel find merit in their arguments, the full bench of the Constitutional Court would hear the case, potentially pausing the trial proceedings once again.
Central to their defence is the assertion that justice cannot proceed until these constitutional grievances are fully addressed.
Yet, thus far, their arguments have failed to gain traction in the courts.
As the clock ticks toward the new hearing dates, the two find themselves locked in a precarious battle, balancing on the edge of legal technicalities and the public scrutiny.
Whether the two will succeed in their quest for bail, or in their bid to halt the trial altogether, remains to be seen.
For now, the courtroom remains the stage for a battle as gripping as it is consequential.
