Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Online Reporter
The Court in Harare on Thursday ruled in favour of the State over a highly contested piece of evidence in Gospel musician Ivy Kombo and husband Admire Kasi’s case.
Kombo and her husband who hold Law Degrees acquired in the United Kingdom connived with suspended executive secretary of the Council for Legal Education (CLE), Huggins Hardwork Duri to get certificates of completion without writing conversion examinations.
It is alleged that Duri charged them US$1 100 each for the service and the certificates were printed and signed by the relevant signatories who were acting upon Duri’s misrepresentation that the two had written the examinations.
In a statement the National Prosecuting Authority said the defence had objected to the evidence (an email that was allegedly sent to Fidelity Printers requesting the printing of the certificates) on the grounds that the state had not served the accused persons with the e-mail extract.
“The Court overruled the objection and held that the accused persons will not be prejudiced if the e-mail extract is admitted as evidence in the fraud case. Kombo and Kasi are alleged to have fraudulently acquired certificates of completion from the Council of Legal Education (CLE) without following due process whilst Duri facilitated the transaction,” read the statement.
According to Zimbabwean law, any person who holds a Law Degree acquired from outside Zimbabwe is mandated to write conversion examinations through CLE in order to register as a Legal Practitioner in the country.
The trial continues on the 4th of March 2024.
Online Reporter