COUNCIL for Legal Education (CLE) secretary Huggins Duri has been acquitted on charges of fraudulently issuing conversion certificates to lawyers who acquired law degrees outside the country.
Duri was acquitted alongside his co-accused, lawyer Simbarashe Madzivire, by deputy chief magistrate Donald Ndirowei after a full trial.
Allegations were that in June 2022 and at Council for Legal Education (CLE) Harare offices, Duri misrepresentated that Madzivire had successfully completed conversion examinations.
He allegedly facilitated the printing of Madzivire’s certificate of completion at Fidelity Printers despite knowing that Madzivire failed examinations for three modules.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Ndirowei ruled that the testimony of the witnesses was not credible as it was replete with inconsistencies.
“In matters like these, there has to be a nexus of documents that establish any malpractice. There was no such nexus,” Ndirowei said.
“Emphasis is that there is an issue with the Council for Legal Education as an institution. The documents are in disarray.
- LSZ flags 31 unregistered lawyers
- Lawyer in dock over ‘fake’ certificate
- Outcry over punitive legal education arrangement
- CLE top official escapes jail
Keep Reading
“You can’t make any conclusive determination on what documents exist or don’t.”
The magistrate said there was no evidence that Duri received money to facilitate the printing of certificates.
“In other words, there was no proof beyond reasonable doubt that Duri and his co-accused Madzivire committed fraud as alleged.”
Several lawyers, including prominent pastor Admire Kasi and his wife, musician Ivy Kombo, who studied law outside the country, were arrested on similar allegations.
