Musician Ivy Kombo Tuesday told the court that she is a victim of corruption at the Council for Legal Education but was instead being treated like an offender.
Kombo said she cannot be faulted for the shortcomings of the institution.
The songstress and her husband Admire Kasi are on trial facing allegations of fraud. The two are accused of acquiring conversion certificates to practice law in Zimbabwe without writing the conversion examinations or without exemption.
They are being represented by their lawyers Admire Rubaya and Everson Chatambudza.
Kombo said she received the conversion certificate from the Council for Legal Education, signed by High Court judge, Justice Sylvia Chirau.
She said she was not aware it was a product of the alleged fraud as she had gone through all the required procedures and was issued with what she understood to be a legitimate conversion certificate.
Allegations are that they approached one Shorai Tafadzwa Mupunga, a CLE official to assist her in registering and writing the conversion examinations.
Claims are that sometime last year, Mupunga approached Duri, who indicated that he was able to facilitate the issuance of the conversion certificates, without writing the conversion examinations, if the couple paid US$1 100.
The two allegedly paid the money through Mupunga, who handed it to Duri, who then processed the certificates which certified that the couple had written and passed eight conversion subjects.
During cross-examination, Mupunga confirmed the anomaly cannot be faulted on Kombo.
She said when she met Kombo they never discussed ways to acquire the certificates illegally.
She confirmed that there was nothing to show any misrepresentation.
Mupunga found herself with the tag of being a self-confessed liar after a series of conflicting statements.
The defence said it is now difficult to believe the evidence of a ''self-confessed liar who escaped from the Council for Legal Education and is currently on suspension at the Ministry of Justice after damning allegations against her professional conduct.''
This is after she gave new statements contradicting her statement to ZACC investigators.
She initially said she received and gave Duri US$1 100 for him to facilitate the acquiring of fraudulent certificates before changing the figure to US$2 200.
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She had said she met with Duri twice, when she gave her the money and when she collected the certificates.
She later said they met three times and that on that third time, she was giving him the remaining US$1 100.
However, during cross-examination, Mupunga later exonerated the gospel singer, telling the court that Kombo had indeed filed an application to write the conversion exams.
''I met accused 1 when she came to see me at Ranch House. She had gone to our offices but I wasn't there. I was invigilating at Ranch House exams there so that's where we met. We never had a conversation about buying the conversion certificate.
''I know she filed an application form. The form is used by those who either want to register to write conversion exams or apply for the exemption certificate. She completed all the processes. I didn't attend the meeting where the CLE board deliberated the applications. I also do not have the minutes so I don't know what transpired.'' she told the court.
The matter will continue Wednesday with Mupunga still undergoing cross-examination.
