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Suspended army lawyer defended
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The trial of suspended Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) legal officer, Grace Kurasha, took a dramatic turn yesterday after former Council for Legal Education secretary, Huggins Duri, testified in her defence and dismissed allegations that she fraudulently obtained her practising certificate.
Testifying before Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere, Duri insisted that Kurasha's academic qualifications were legitimate. He said her law degree from the University of Zambia and her certificates were genuine and bore valid signatures.
"It's impossible to allege that Kurasha did not write her conversion examinations. Her degree class and performance at the University of Zambia, where she studied law, speak for themselves," Duri said. "If she had failed her exams, she would not have obtained her degree or certificate. Nothing here is fraudulent."
Duri also questioned why the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) had implicated him in the matter. With a touch of humour, he remarked: "When I saw her here, I realised how beautiful she is. Maybe the only crime I could have committed was proposing to her."
He rejected claims by his successor at the Council for Legal Education, who alleged that he colluded with Kurasha to issue her a practising certificate without fulfilling the required qualifications. Duri described the allegations as baseless and damaging to his reputation.
The State, however, maintains that Kurasha failed to complete her mandatory bridging course at the University of Zimbabwe for foreign-trained law graduates. Prosecutors allege she paid US$1 000 through an intermediary, Shorai Mupunga, to Duri in exchange for the certificate, which she later used to apply for admission as a legal practitioner at the High Court.
The trial continues.
Testifying before Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere, Duri insisted that Kurasha's academic qualifications were legitimate. He said her law degree from the University of Zambia and her certificates were genuine and bore valid signatures.
"It's impossible to allege that Kurasha did not write her conversion examinations. Her degree class and performance at the University of Zambia, where she studied law, speak for themselves," Duri said. "If she had failed her exams, she would not have obtained her degree or certificate. Nothing here is fraudulent."
He rejected claims by his successor at the Council for Legal Education, who alleged that he colluded with Kurasha to issue her a practising certificate without fulfilling the required qualifications. Duri described the allegations as baseless and damaging to his reputation.
The State, however, maintains that Kurasha failed to complete her mandatory bridging course at the University of Zimbabwe for foreign-trained law graduates. Prosecutors allege she paid US$1 000 through an intermediary, Shorai Mupunga, to Duri in exchange for the certificate, which she later used to apply for admission as a legal practitioner at the High Court.
The trial continues.
Source - The Herald
