Renowned lawyer faces probe over graft claims

Renowned Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi could find himself in trouble with the law after Chief Registrar of the judiciary Winfridah Mokaya called on the DPP to investigate the vocal lawyer and possibly arrest him. According to a report in the Kenyans, this comes after Abdullahi made a series of damaging allegations against the judiciary. This included a claim that a Supreme Court judge accepted a multi-m i l l i o n shilling bribe to influence a ruling in the Court of Appeal. In his original post, Ahmednasir claimed the judge had received Ksh4m ($30 953) from a lawyer and his client to swing a decision their way at the appellate level. Ahmednasir further claimed that the case took a twist when the client in question still lost the case, prompting the judge to allegedly refund Ksh3m ($ 23 215) of the alleged bribe, with the remaining Ksh1m ($7 738 ) expected to be settled within the week. The judiciary has since taken these claims seriously, with the Chief Registrar writing to the DPP, Renson Ingonga, calling for the investigations and his possible arrest.

‘This pattern of conduct amounts to a crime under the laws of Kenya,’ the judiciary said in the letter. ‘We are deeply concerned that if this continues, it will erode public confidence in the judiciary and undermine the rule of law.’ Ahmednasir laughed off the possible probe, accusing Mokaya of attempting a cover-up. ‘Instead of investigating the matter and apprehending the Supreme Court judge who took a bribe…, she has the audacity to ask for my apprehension,’ he claimed on X. The judiciary has come under scrutiny in recent months, with Chief Justice Martha Koome, in particular, given the task of restoring public confidence in one of the most crucial arms of government, according to the Kenyans report. In April, Koome revealed the formation of court Integrity Committees across all court stations to work as inclusive platforms for judges, judicial officers, advocates and other stakeholders to share concerns and address unethical behaviour.