False start to Ivy Kombo and hubby Admire Kasi’s trial

Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

The trial of gospel musician Ivy Kombo and her husband Admire Kasi who allegedly fraudulently acquired fake certificates to practice law in Zimbabwe after obtaining Bachelor of Laws degrees in England could not start today due to lack of preparedness by their counsel.

The two are being jointly charged with Huggins Hardwork Duri who is the suspended executive secretary of the Council for Legal Education.

The counsel of the three accused persons had made an application of postponement before presiding Regional Magistrate Mrs Feresi Chakanyuka citing lack of preparedness who granted it in their favour.

She then set the trial on a continuous roll from December 11 to 13.

The couple is being charged with fraud and perjury and are currently out of custody on US$300 bail each.

The State alleged that during 2013, the couple graduated from the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, with Bachelor of Laws degrees.

But as with all those graduating from foreign law schools, the couple had to obtain a certificate of completion from the Council for Legal Education by writing and passing conversion examinations so they could practice Law in Zimbabwe.

According to the State, following a complaint by the Finance and Administration Manager for the council, Mr Joe Zimba in 2021, Kombo approached Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, a CLE official, to assist her to register and write these conversion examinations.

Mupunga advised Kombo that she would engage Duri, the suspended secretary for CLE, who is already on remand on related cases.

The court heard that sometime in 2022, Mupunga approached Duri who said he would issue conversion certificates without them writing the conversion examinations if they paid US$1 100.

They allegedly paid the money through Mupunga who handed it over to Duri who in turn “certified” that the two had written and passed eight conversion subjects in Statute Law, Evidence, Bookkeeping, Civil law practice duties and functions, Ethics for legal practitioners, Civil practice and procedure, Common Law 1 and Common Law 2.

Duri then handed over the certificates to Mupunga who in turn gave them to Kombo and her husband.

The two were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigations team.