Regional
magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube last week ruled that the State had failed to prove
its case beyond reasonable doubt and failed to provide sufficient evidence to
support the allegations.
He also noted
serious irregularities within the management of CLE examination processes and
the dispatch of results.
The main State
witness, Shorai Mupunga, was said to be more of an accomplice.
It was noted
that her evidence lacked credibility and corroboration.
Both accused
individuals were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The case
centred around allegations that Kovi and Duri conspired to fraudulently obtain
a certificate of completion, which allowed Kovi to be admitted as a legal
practitioner in Zimbabwe.
The complainant
in the matter was the State, represented by Mr Joe Zimba, Finance and
Administration Manager for CLE.
Kovi (34), an
Administrator at Kanoti and Partners Public Interest Lawyers, graduated in 2019
with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Africa in Lusaka, Zambia.
To practice law
in Zimbabwe, she needed to obtain a conversion certificate from CLE after
passing a series of prescribed examinations.
According to
the State, Kovi registered with CLE in 2020 and sat for four modules Common Law
I & II, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence.
She only passed
Common Law II with 54 percent while failing the remaining three modules.
She later
registered for three additional modules Civil Procedure, Statutes, and Ethics
but failed all of them.
Investigations
also revealed that she never wrote the Bookkeeping module, a requirement for
certification.
The prosecution
alleged that Kovi then approached Duri, who was the CLE Executive Secretary at
the time and sought his assistance in fraudulently obtaining the certificate.
Duri
purportedly instructed a CLE official, Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, to include
Kovi’s name on the list of those eligible for certification, despite her
failing the required modules.
A certificate
of completion was allegedly processed, signed by the Chairman of the Board of
Examinations, and collected by Duri.
This
certificate enabled Kovi to be admitted to the High Court of Zimbabwe as a
legal practitioner. Herald
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