IN a comical twist of events, the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission has arrested a lawyer who allegedly consulted a sangoma with the intention to ‘harm’ witnesses set to testify against her in a pending fraud trial.
The lawyer, Linda Kovi who is employed as a legal officer at Kanoti and Partners law firm, appeared before magistrate Donald Ndirowei charged with obstruction of justice. She is back in court today for bail considerations with indications from the State that it will seek the revocation of bail on her fraud charge.
Kovi was initially arrested last year after she was sucked into the ongoing Council for Legal Education storm. She was accused of fraudulently acquiring a Conversion certificate from the Council. A team of ZACC officers was tasked to investigate the matter.
She appeared in court and was released on bail and one of three conditions was not to interfere with witnesses.
It is the State’s that on November 23, she called one of the star witnesses, Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, asking her about the evidence that ZACC had against her.
She allegedly went on to tell Mupunga that there was a traditional healer, known as Chief Dotito, whom she said had a vision of her (Mupunga) being attacked by evil spirits as a result of her involvement in the CLE cases.
It is alleged that on the same date, the Sangoma called Mupunga and warned her that she was going to be spiritually attacked and would be suspended from work if she to continued being involved in the CLE cases.
All this was done in a bid to instil fear in the witness so that she could stay away from testifying against Kovi.
Kovi allegedly pleaded with Dotito to use his spiritual powers to deal with the ZACC investigating officers and Court officials who had dealt with her case.
The targets included prosecutors Pardon Dziva and Lancelot Mutsokoti and magistrates Marewanazvo Gofa and Stanford Mambanje.
She then connived with some police detectives to concoct criminal allegations against a ZACC officer who was investigating her case.
When she was arrested on February 29, Kovi warned the ZACC official, Shelton Gambia, he, and his colleagues, would be harmed if they refused to play a ‘passive’ role in her cases.
Anesu Chirenje appeared for the State. HMetro.
