The court cleared Huggins Duri and Linda Kovi of fraud charges after their trial ended at Harare Magistrates' Court. Regional magistrate Lazini Ncube decided the State failed to prove its case with enough evidence. He pointed out problems with how the Council for Legal Education handled exam processes. The main witness, Shorai Mupunga, seemed more like someone involved in the crime. Her testimony lacked believability.
The case claimed Kovi and Duri worked together to fake a certificate that allowed Kovi to become a lawyer in Zimbabwe. The Council for Legal Education's Finance Manager, Joe Zimba, represented the State as the complainant. Kovi graduated with a law degree from the University of Africa in Zambia back in 2019. She needed to pass several exams to practice law in Zimbabwe.
Kovi registered with the council in 2020 and took four required tests. She passed only one test with 54 percent. She later tried three more tests but failed them all. She never took the required Bookkeeping test. The State claimed she had asked Duri for help to get a certificate anyway. Duri supposedly told Mupunga to add Kovi to the pass list despite her failures.
The case claimed Kovi and Duri worked together to fake a certificate that allowed Kovi to become a lawyer in Zimbabwe. The Council for Legal Education's Finance Manager, Joe Zimba, represented the State as the complainant. Kovi graduated with a law degree from the University of Africa in Zambia back in 2019. She needed to pass several exams to practice law in Zimbabwe.
Kovi registered with the council in 2020 and took four required tests. She passed only one test with 54 percent. She later tried three more tests but failed them all. She never took the required Bookkeeping test. The State claimed she had asked Duri for help to get a certificate anyway. Duri supposedly told Mupunga to add Kovi to the pass list despite her failures.
