ADVOCATE Lewis Uriri yesterday recused himself from
representing the suspended University of Zimbabwe Vice- Chancellor, Levi
Nyagura in a case he is accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly
procedurally conferring former First Lady Grace Mugabe a Doctor of Philosophy
Degree.
Uriri, the lawyer who represented President Emmerson
Mnangagwa in his defence against an election petition brought by MDC Alliance
leader Nelson Chamisa last month, said he made the decision in the best interests
of his client.
He made the disclosure yesterday before magistrate Lazini
Ncube when he was seeking postponement of the matter to October 22 saying the
trial could not proceed since they were waiting for the determination of their
application at the Constitutional Court.
“Your worship, I won’t be appearing in court for the
accused for personal reasons,” Uriri said.
Asked to clarify, Uriri said: “I generally do not appear in
the magistrates court and do not purport to practice in that court although licensed
with the right of audience therein.
Appearances in the magistrate court are interfering with my
hectic superior court practice.
I am generally going to be unavailable and do not wish to
prejudice the accused person.
This decision is in the accused’s best interests.”
Allegations are that on sometime in 2011, Nyagura
singlehandedly accepted and approved an application by Ntombizodwa Marufu
(Grace’s maiden name) to study for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Sociology
without the knowledge and recommendations of the Departmental Board and Faculty
of Higher Degrees Committee, in violation of UZ quality assurance, guidelines
and benchmark.
Nyagura allegedly abused his position after showing favour
to Marufu who did not meet the minimum requirements to study the degree.
It is alleged Nyagura’s action has the effect of
discrediting Zimbabwe’s education system and affecting its international
ranking and raising doubts about qualifications from Zimbabwe’s institutions of
higher learning. Newsday
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