Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Marian Chombo will pay US$100,000 to top lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa's firm being legal fees for services rendered during her divorce 13 years ago.
This follows a High Court ruling by Justice Joel Mambara which compelled her to pay the fees despite her protestations.
The judge said Mtetwa and Nyambirai Law Firm had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The law firm through top lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa successfully represented Marian during her divorce from former minister Ignatius Chombo back in 2011.
The court heard Marian engaged Mtetwa to represent her during acrimonious divorce proceedings that spanned several years.
Despite receiving extensive legal services, the defendant failed to settle the agreed legal fees, leading to this action.
The defendant's defences lacked merit and were inconsistent with her own admissions and actions.
"The acknowledgement of debt remains binding, and the court disregards the belatedly raised defences," said the judge.
Costs were claimed on the legal practitioner and client scale.
The judge also noted that Chombo was very honest and remorseful that she failed to pay for the services rendered.
"Despite the spurious defences raised in her papers, she made an undertaking to pay for the excellent legal services rendered by the defendant once she was in a position to pay.
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"In the result, the defendant is ordered to pay the plaintiff the sum of US$100,000 or its equivalent in Zimbabwean dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of payment.
"The defendant is ordered to pay interest at the prescribed rate from the date of summons to the date of full payment. The defendant shall pay the costs of suit," the judge ruled.
Marian had acknowledged that the plaintiff had represented her diligently and that she had benefited from the legal services provided.
She, however, insisted that the fee claimed was unreasonable and suggested a reduced amount of US$50,000 as fair compensation.
The defendant testified that she made efforts to settle the debt by offering stands received from the divorce settlement.
However, when the plaintiff attempted to verify the existence and value of the stands, it was discovered that the stand numbers provided did not correspond to any existing stands.
