Court Correspondent
A 50-year-old man was yesterday fined $100 for pretending to be a legal practitioner employed by the National Employment Council for Welfare and Educational Institutions (NECWEI). Teddy Shonhiwa of Kambuzuma appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe. Mr Mahwe considered that Shonhiwa was a first offender and a family man, but also took into account that he had committed a serious offence.
“Cases of bogus lawyers are on the rise and deterrent sentences should be imposed. “However, it is the policy of the courts to keep first offenders out of prison therefore a moderate fine is appropriate in this matter,” he said.
Facts are that on November 16 this year, Shonhiwa went to Sheilla Mujuru’s workplace at Praise Crèche in Westwood, Harare. He was in the company of a colleague, Joseph Mabhena, who has since appeared in court. Mabhena introduced himself as a police officer and Shonhiwa as a lawyer.
The pair pretended to be on duty and handed over a form LR/22 “Notification to Party to Attend Proceeding” which required Mujuru to appear for hearing at NECWEI offices.
Mujuru’s husband overhead the conversation and invited the two to his office. They refused and ran away. Mujuru’s husband chased after the pair but failed to catch them. Mabhena, however, dropped some of the papers from his pocket.
The papers were used to locate the two and they were subsequently arrested. Ms Francisca Mukumbiri prosecuted.