HARARE – The trial of gospel musician Ivy Kombo and her husband Admire Kasi, accused of fraudulently acquiring certificates from the Council of Legal Education (CLE), was postponed due to their lawyers’ absence.
The defense attorneys had previously proposed March 13th as a suitable court date. They, however, failed to appear, citing prior commitments in the High Court of Harare and Masvingo.
The state expressed dissatisfaction with the postponement due to the lawyers’ double booking. The presiding judge has rescheduled the trial for a continuous session on March 18th and 19th. State witnesses have been ordered to be present on both dates.
Kombo and Kasi are alleged to have obtained CLE certificates without following proper procedures, aided by a facilitator named Huggins Duri.
The standard process requires individuals with foreign law degrees to pass conversion exams administered by the CLE before being registered as legal practitioners in Zimbabwe.
Prosecutors claim that Kombo and her husband, both holding UK law degrees, conspired with Duri to acquire the certificates without taking the exams. They allegedly paid Duri USD 1,100 each for his assistance.
The certificates were reportedly produced with the signatures of authorised officials who were misled by Duri’s false claim that the couple had completed the necessary examinations.