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Zvikomborero Parafini
HARARE regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka yesterday convened court at Samuel Leon Medical Centre where Ivy Kombo’s husband Admire Kasi is admitted in hospital.
The couple’s trial was set to resume yesterday but Kasi did not turn up and his lawyers advised the court that he was admitted in the emergency section of the hospital.
Shambadzeni Fungura, for the State, suggested that he be remanded from his bedside and the court officials proceeded to the hospital where proceedings were conducted.
The State intends to lead evidence from High Court Judge, Justice Sylvia Chirau-Mugomba, something which has been contested by the couple’s lawyers and has made them approach the High Court for review.
They are arguing that Mugomba’s witness statement was recorded mid-trial, which is unfair to their case.
The couple argued that magistrate Chakanyuka grossly misdirected herself by calling Justice Mugomba in a manner which constitutes brazen miscarriage of justice which has the effect of vitiating the proceedings in a manner which was contrary to the constitution.
The State’s claims are that in 2021, Kombo approached one Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, a Council for Legal Education official, to assist her to register and write the conversion examinations.
Mupunga allegedly advised her that she was going to engage Huggins Duri, who was the then executive secretary of the Council of Legal Education.
Allegations are that sometime last year Mupunga approached Duri who indicated that he was able to facilitate the issuing of the conversion certificates, without writing the conversion examinations, if the couple paid US$1 100.
The two allegedly paid the money through Mupunga who handed it to Duri who then processed the certificates which certified that the couple had written and passed eight conversion subjects — Statute Law, Evidence, Bookkeeping, Civil Law Practice duties and functions and Ethics for Legal Practitioners, Civil Practice and Procedure, Common Law 1 and Common Law 2.
The trial resumes on November 11.
Online Reporter