Lawyer faces obstruction of justice rap

Michael Mashiri

A lawyer of Kanoti and Partners who accused he Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission of manipulating the Law Society of Zimbabwe has been given bail.

Chawaona Winbroad Kanoti, 60, of Greencroft appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts accused of obstructing the course of justice.

Kanoti is a partner at Kanoti and Partners Legal Practitioners.

He will appear in court on February 20, for his routine remand.

The State through prosecutor Thomas Chanakira, alleges that on July 4, 2023, he ,Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission arrested one Linda Kovi for fraudulently obtaining a Council for Legal Education certificate which she allegedly used to be admitted as a legal practitioner.

During the criminal proceedings, Kanoti represented Kovi.

On December 18, 2023, Kanoti made a written statement to the Law Society of Zimbabwe, National Prosecuting Authority and Zacc that the anti-graft body’s investigators had attempted to bribe one Shorai Mupunga by paying her US$1 500 to induce her to falsely incriminate her client, Kovi.

He alleged that this move by Zacc was because it had failed to muster enough evidence against Kovi.

It is alleged that he went on to claim that Zacc was regretting its actions of arresting his client.

Kanoti also highlighted that ZACC was also manipulating the Law Society of Zimbabwe to decline to issue a practicing certificate to Kovi for 2024 to extort a confession.

He further falsely alleged that Zacc was concocting a serious allegation against Kovi to coerce and compel her to incriminate herself.