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Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent

The matter of a Harare lawyer who threatened to deal with a witness spiritually in a case where she is being accused of fraudulently acquiring a conversion certificate to practice law in Zimbabwe, was today referred to the provincial court for bail application.

Linda Kovi (34) is facing obstruction of justice charges.

Prosecutor, Mr Anesu Chirenje told Harare Regional Magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa that the matter was supposed to be referred to the provincial court for bail application.

It is the State’s case that sometime in 2023, Kovi was arrested by ZACC officers on allegations of fraudulently acquiring a conversion certificate with the Zimbabwe Council for Legal Education (CLE).

A team of ZACC officers led by Mr Chimusoro Elisha was tasked to investigate and deal with the matter.
Kovi was taken to court and was released on bail and one of the conditions for her release was that she was not to interfere with State witnesses.

The court heard that on November 5, 2023, Kovi called one of the key State witnesses, Ms Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, asking her about the evidence that ZACC had against her.

She told Ms Mupunga that there was a traditional healer known as Chief Dotito who is still at large, whom she said had a vision of her being attacked by evil spirits as a result of her being involved in the CLE case.

On the same date, the said Chief Dotito, called Ms Mupunga and warned her that she was going to be spiritually attacked and also be suspended at work if she continued being involved in the case.

All this was done in a bid to instill fear in the witness so that she would refrain from testifying against Kovi.

It is alleged that Kovi pleaded with Chief Dotito to use his spiritual powers to deal with the ZACC investigating officers and court officials who had dealt with her case, namely, Prosecutors Mr Pardon Dziva and Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti, and Magistrates Mrs Marewanazvo Gofa and Mr Stanford Mambanje.

On December 21, Kovi then connived with some police officers and threatened to tarnish the names of some ZACC officers investigating her.

Then on Thursday, after her arrest, Kovi warned one of the ZACC investigators, senior investigating officer Shelton Gambiza to take a back seat in her case as something sinister was going to befall all the officers who were involved in her case.