Fake lawyer arrested
A 29-YEAR-OLD Harare man was arrested after he represented a theft suspect in a court without a valid legal practitioner’s licence.
Luck ran out for Mclean Mahaso who had successfully duped detectives into believing that he was a bonafide lawyer and was allowed to talk to Tsungai Mazani (29) - a $59 000 theft suspect - when Mutare magistrate Mr innocent Bepura asked him to produce his certificate.
He failed to produce anything and detectives later gathered that he was fake.
Mahaso was subsequently arrested and he appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe for contravening Section 9 (i) of the Legal Practitioners Act, Chapter 27:07 which criminalises practising without a valid licence.
He pleaded not guilty. Mr Chris Ndlovu of Goneso and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners represented Mahaso, while Mr Walter Saunyama prosecuted.
The court heard that Mazani was arrested over a $59 000 theft case and was detained at Mutare Central Police Station awaiting further management at the court on June 3.
Mahaso allegedly went to CID Mutare where he introduced himself to detectives as a legal practitioner from Jambo Legal Practice based in Harare and was in the city to provide legal representation to Mazani.
He was given access to Mazani and had private interviews with his client.
He responded to the allegations levelled against Mazani in the form of a warned and cautioned statement which he duly signed as Mazani’s representative.
On June 5, Mazani was brought before the courts for initial remand with the suspect as his lawyer.
He appeared before Mr Bepura and the State through Mr Fletcher Karombe was denying bail to his client.
Mr Bepura asked Mahaso to produce his legal practitioner’s practicing certificate, but he failed to produce it.
He told the court that he left it in Harare, thereby prompting the magistrate to remand the matter to the following day.
Detectives later gathered that Mahaso’s practicing certificate was invalid since it had expired on December 31, 2016. He is out on $100 bail. The case goes for trial on June 20.