News / National
ZNA legal officer's trial starts on 22 October
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Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje has set October 22 as the trial date for suspended Zimbabwe National Army legal officer Grace Kurasha, who is facing charges of fraudulently acquiring a local bridging certificate from the Council of Legal Education.
The bridging certificate is a mandatory requirement for law graduates from foreign universities seeking to practise in Zimbabwe. Kurasha is accused of obtaining this document unlawfully, enabling her to register as a legal practitioner without completing the necessary examinations.
Kurasha, who is jointly charged with Huggins Duri, the former executive secretary of the Council for Legal Education, will stand trial after being implicated in the scheme to bypass legal certification procedures.
Prosecutor Ngoni Kaseke alleged that in 2020, Kurasha graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lusaka in Zambia. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, she enrolled for the Bachelor of Procedural Laws programme at the University of Zimbabwe, a bridging course for those who have completed their law studies abroad to convert to Zimbabwean law standards.
However, Kurasha reportedly did not complete the course. Instead, she allegedly approached the Council for Legal Education to inquire about obtaining the required certificate without finishing the academic process.
At the council, she allegedly met Shorai Mupunga, to whom she reportedly paid US$1,000 in exchange for assistance in obtaining the certificate without sitting for the examination. Mupunga is said to have handed the money to Duri, who then allegedly facilitated the processing of the certificate.
The fraudulent certificate allowed Kurasha to apply for admission to the High Court as a legal practitioner on March 23. After submitting the falsified document, she was admitted as a legal practitioner, enabling her to register with the Law Society of Zimbabwe and practise law.
The trial, expected to begin in late October, will determine whether Kurasha and Duri were involved in the unlawful acquisition of the legal certification and whether Kurasha's admission to the legal profession was fraudulent.
The bridging certificate is a mandatory requirement for law graduates from foreign universities seeking to practise in Zimbabwe. Kurasha is accused of obtaining this document unlawfully, enabling her to register as a legal practitioner without completing the necessary examinations.
Kurasha, who is jointly charged with Huggins Duri, the former executive secretary of the Council for Legal Education, will stand trial after being implicated in the scheme to bypass legal certification procedures.
Prosecutor Ngoni Kaseke alleged that in 2020, Kurasha graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lusaka in Zambia. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, she enrolled for the Bachelor of Procedural Laws programme at the University of Zimbabwe, a bridging course for those who have completed their law studies abroad to convert to Zimbabwean law standards.
However, Kurasha reportedly did not complete the course. Instead, she allegedly approached the Council for Legal Education to inquire about obtaining the required certificate without finishing the academic process.
At the council, she allegedly met Shorai Mupunga, to whom she reportedly paid US$1,000 in exchange for assistance in obtaining the certificate without sitting for the examination. Mupunga is said to have handed the money to Duri, who then allegedly facilitated the processing of the certificate.
The fraudulent certificate allowed Kurasha to apply for admission to the High Court as a legal practitioner on March 23. After submitting the falsified document, she was admitted as a legal practitioner, enabling her to register with the Law Society of Zimbabwe and practise law.
The trial, expected to begin in late October, will determine whether Kurasha and Duri were involved in the unlawful acquisition of the legal certification and whether Kurasha's admission to the legal profession was fraudulent.
Source - newsday
