We Will Recover The Stolen Money After Chimombe And Mpofu Have Been Sentenced: State Clarifies On Ill-Gotten Wealth

By Staff Reporter
The State has declared it will recover millions stolen by convicted businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, but only after the duo have been sentenced. This clarification comes after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew its immediate application to seize their properties, a move that had sparked public discussion. The NPA insists this is a procedural step to ensure sentencing proceeds without delay, not an abandonment of its pursuit of the ill-gotten wealth.

The pre-sentencing hearing for the two men was postponed on 14 November 2025 to Monday, 17 November 2025. This delay was granted at the request of the offenders themselves. It was during these court proceedings that the State’s updated position on the stolen funds was formally presented.

A Tactical Withdrawal For Swift Justice
The State has explained that its withdrawal of the asset recovery application is a strategic decision. According to an NPA news bulletin from 14 November 2025, the move is intended to prevent the complex asset forfeiture process from holding up the final sentencing of the two convicted fraudsters. A prosecutor involved in the case clarified the legal manoeuvre.

“The State submitted to the court that it has since withdrawn its application to recover the money siphoned from the State through the goat scheme at this time. This application has been withdrawn specifically to allow the pre-sentencing hearing to proceed without delay.”

This means the court can now focus entirely on determining the appropriate prison term for Chimombe and Mpofu for their role in the US$7 million (approx. R133 million) fraud, without being sidetracked by simultaneous asset seizure arguments.


State Vows To Pursue Every Dollar
Despite the temporary withdrawal, the State has issued a firm and public guarantee that it will reclaim the stolen money. The NPA has committed to re-filing its application the moment a sentence is handed down, ensuring the two men do not profit from their crime. The authority was unequivocal in its bulletin.

“The State also confirmed that it will be proceeding with the application to recover the stolen money immediately after the sentencing of the offenders.”

This confirms that the relief for Chimombe and Mpofu is only temporary. The State’s focus remains on using the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act to strip them of the assets acquired with the stolen funds.

The Overwhelming Case That Led To Conviction
The conviction that paved the way for this asset recovery pursuit stems from a massive fraud involving the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme. Chimombe and Mpofu have been in remand prison since June 2024 after being found guilty of defrauding the government. During the trial, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda dismantled their defences.

Justice Kwenda was similarly unconvinced by Mike Chimombe’s testimony, which he found was directly contradicted by evidence from State witnesses.

The path forward is now clear. Sentencing is the immediate priority, scheduled for 17 November 2025, with the State’s full pursuit of the stolen US$7 million to follow immediately after.