John Basera spoke at court Thursday about a fraud case against two businessmen. Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu face charges for taking 7.9 million dollars without delivering goats as promised. Basera used to run the agriculture ministry and explained how the deal happened. The men's company Blackdeck won a contract to supply 600,000 goats under a government program. Officials approved the deal after the company submitted the lowest bid.
Basera told judges that his ministry trusted the paperwork at first. The company was supposed to deliver goats at prices between 175 and 250 dollars each. Ministry workers thought these costs seemed excessive and met with Blackdeck to negotiate. They agreed on new prices of 75 to 95 dollars per goat depending on the type. The government paid the full amount during April and June of 2022.
Problems started when Blackdeck claimed they had secured 32,000 goats in holding areas. Ministry officials visited these locations to check on the animals. They found fewer than 3,000 goats instead of the promised numbers. The ministry discovered that Blackdeck had used fake tax documents during the application process. Cross-examination of Basera continues Friday as the trial moves forward.
Basera told judges that his ministry trusted the paperwork at first. The company was supposed to deliver goats at prices between 175 and 250 dollars each. Ministry workers thought these costs seemed excessive and met with Blackdeck to negotiate. They agreed on new prices of 75 to 95 dollars per goat depending on the type. The government paid the full amount during April and June of 2022.
Problems started when Blackdeck claimed they had secured 32,000 goats in holding areas. Ministry officials visited these locations to check on the animals. They found fewer than 3,000 goats instead of the promised numbers. The ministry discovered that Blackdeck had used fake tax documents during the application process. Cross-examination of Basera continues Friday as the trial moves forward.
