The businessmen Moses and Mike Chimombe have been in remand jail for more than six months on fraud accusations; if convicted, they may face a 20-year prison term.
If the State can prove that they stole from the public coffers, their sentence could be harsher.
Both defendants have entered not guilty pleas to charges of conspiring to defraud the government of $7 million USD. Justice Pisirayi Kwenda recently refused their bail requests. Their request for release was denied because there was still a considerable chance that they would run or tamper with witnesses, notwithstanding their citation of new circumstances.
“I find that the likelihood of the accused evading trial or tampering with witnesses still exists,” Justice Kwenda stated, echoing the magistrate’s court’s earlier worries. Because of these factors, their request for bail cannot be approved.
Related Stories:
.Judge to Deliver Judgment Tomorrow in Fraud Case Involving Chimombe and Mpofu
.Defense Lawyers Seek Witnesses in US$7 Million Fraud Case Against Mpofu and Chimombe
“Although all bail matters are urgent, we dedicated two full days to assess whether their application presented valid grounds for changed circumstances,” he continued. No compelling evidence has been presented by lead counsel, Mr. Dzvetero, to support the release of these persons on bond.
The trial was continued and the matter was postponed until February 10. “If we work hard, we can finish this case in five days,” Justice Kwenda said, sounding optimistic about the trial’s potential speedy conclusion. We intend to accomplish that when we meet again in February.
On October 1, the accused made a strong statement asserting their rights throughout the trial. However, the judge brushed it off as a diversion, highlighting that they were only practicing their constitutional rights.
The refusal of the defendants to provide a defence outline in prior proceedings was also cited by state prosecutors as a factor in the decision to deny bail.
