The High Court has ordered Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, accused of abusing the Presidential Goats pass-on scheme, to cowl their erstwhile enterprise accomplice Wicknell Chivayo’s authorized prices after they withdrew a subpoena requiring his testimony.

Chivayo, subpoenaed as a witness in Chimombe and Mpofu’s utility for referral to the Constitutional Court, attended the listening to together with his lawyer, Advocate Sylvester Hashiti.

However, Chimombe and Mpofu’s attorneys later determined that Chivayo’s proof was pointless and withdrew the subpoena.

Justice Pisirai Kwenda put aside the subpoena and ordered Chimombe and Mpofu to fulfill Chivayo’s authorized prices. Kwenda expressed displeasure with the duo’s dealing with of the case, stating that they need to take court docket proceedings critically.

Chimombe and Mpofu had additionally subpoenaed Harare Provincial Public Prosecutor Tendai Shonhai and investigating officer Henry Chapwanya however later excused them.

Additionally, that they had deliberate to summon Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Michael Reza however deemed it pointless.

Advocate Hashiti argued that Chivayo was not a related witness, realizing nothing concerning the case.

“You can solely testify if you end up crucial or related for the progress of a case.

“Mr Chivayo is aware of nothing concerning the case. He was fully unaware of the case, he was not given discover and he was not given a abstract of the case to testify on.

“There is basically nothing which he brings before the court, the reason I say it was not relevant. He could not have testified on something he does not know about and is not involved in, and was never involved,” the lawyer added.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku, representing Chimombe and Mpofu, defended their actions, stating that they realized Chivayo’s proof was irrelevant after participating with different events.

The case will proceed, with Justice Kwenda urging Chimombe and Mpofu to expedite their utility for referral to the Constitutional Court, which has taken over a month.

“The application for referral is taking longer than it should have,” Justice Kwenda said.

“You should take these proceedings seriously. We really need to move on.”

Meanwhile, Mpofu and Chimombe have since advised the court docket that they had been being persecuted for exposing corruption within the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender case.

They advised the High Court that after successful a US$40 million tender for poll papers, Chivayo knowledgeable them that a lot of the cash would go to authorities officers.

The duo was arrested in June and charged with defrauding the federal government within the Presidential Goat Scheme. However, they thought they had been being summoned by (ZACC to debate the ZEC tender situation, not the goat scheme. They imagine that is selective prosecution.

The duo accused Reza of interfering of their case, ensuing of their bail denial regardless of preliminary consent. They declare Reza met with the National Prosecuting Authority’s deputy director to oppose their bail.