Zimbabwean with law degree from Kenya arrested over certificate fraud

A Zimbabwean man who graduated with a law degree at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya was arrested after he fraudulently acquired a certificate of conversion for him to practice law in Zimbabwe.

Elijah Kudzai Mbiriri who is employed by Kajokoto Legal Practitioners as a Legal Assistant appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa charged with fraud.

Mbiriri was granted free bail and remanded to December 14 pending trial.

The complainant is the State represented by Joe Zimba who is the Finance and Administration manager for Council for Legal Education.

It is alleged that sometime in 2017, accused graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, with a Bachelor of Laws degree and for him to practise law in Zimbabwe the accused’s foreign Legal qualification had to be designated and thereafter had to attain a certificate of Conversions with the Council for Legal Education (CLE).

The state alleges that sometime in 2018 the accused enrolled with CLE so as to write eight conversions examinations.

In June 2020 the accused set for one module Civil Procedure and he passed it.

Mbiriri went on to register for four modules in June 2021 namely Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Statutes and Ethics and he managed to pass Ethics failing the other three modules.

Having wrote only five modules out of the required eight modules, Huggins Duri who is still at large went on to give instructions through email to Fidelity Printers and Refiners to print a certificate of completion for accused.

The certificate was allegedly processed and acting in common purpose Duri went on to collect the printed certificate at Fidelity Printers and Refiners and gave it to the accused who accepted the certificate of completion though he knew very well that he had sat for only five modules out of the required eight and of the five modules he had written only two modules were he passed.

The state alleges that by so doing the accused person actions caused a financial prejudice of US$420 and prejudice to the reputation and good administration of the Council for Legal Education.