Musician Ivy Kombo outrightly denied fraud allegations during her trial for obtaining a conversion certificate fraudulently as she claims that the charges against her are a result of clear incompetency by the authorities who issued her the said document.
Kombo, alongside her husband Admire Kasi, is facing accusations of acquiring conversion certificates without fulfilling the mandatory examinations or obtaining exemptions. Their legal representation, Admire Rubaya and Everson Chatambudza, has staunchly refuted these claims.
Kombo argues that it was not her responsibility to verify the authenticity of the document in question. According to her, she received the certificate from the Council for Legal Education, signed by Judge Justice Sylvia Chirau. Kombo asserts that she followed all the required procedures and believed she obtained a legitimate document.
She maintains that she had no reason to suspect any fraudulent activity, as her certificate came from a reputable institution, and it was not within her purview to investigate such matters.
Prosecutors contend that Kombo and her husband sought the assistance of Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, an official from the Council for Legal Education, to facilitate their registration and bypass the conversion examinations. It is claimed that a sum of US$1,100 was paid through Mupunga for this service.
According to the allegations, Duri, approached by Mupunga, processed certificates falsely stating that the couple had passed eight conversion subjects without undergoing the required examinations.
During the trial, Mupunga, acting as a state witness, absolved Kombo of any wrongdoing. She explained that the compilation of names exempted from examinations is handled by support staff. The process involves sending the list for printing without verifying individual examination participation.
Under cross-examination, Mupunga affirmed that the irregularities could not be attributed to Kombo. She stated that her interactions with the singer revolved around legal examination procedures and did not involve any discussions about payment or fraudulent acquisition of documents.
