Justice Philip Tunoi to face a tribunal over graft allegations

Justice Philip Tunoi to face a tribunal over graft allegations

Supreme Court Judge Philip Tunoi will now face a tribunal formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to probe him further after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) special committee investigating him of graft allegations established a case of gross misconduct and misbehaviour against him.

The six member JSC committee led by Public Service Commission (PSC) chair Prof. Margaret Kobia further indicated: “Whether or not there is material to suggest that a bribe was given to the Hon. Justice Philip Tunoi in order to influence the decision in Supreme Court election petition No. 18/2014 Evans Odhiambo Kidero and 4 others-Vs – Ferdinand Waititu Ndungu and 4 others to favour the petitioner, the commission is satisfied that this is an issue that requires further investigations by the tribunal.”

The six member JSC committee was unable to meet the Wednesday deadline this week and committed to presenting a report Friday.

On his part, Judge Tunoi has since maintained that the bribery allegations leveled against him are motivated by succession politics within the Judiciary.

In an exclusive interview with Citizen TV last week, Justice Tunoi said his accuser, Geoffrey Kiplagat, is being used by unnamed individuals who are keen on taking up his position as Judge of the Supreme Court.

“The bribery allegations levelled against me are motivated by the succession in the leadership of the Judiciary, pending the retirement of Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga and his deputy Kalpana Rawal,” he said.

Justice Tunoi also attributed the claims to efforts by people opposed to his push for an extension in his retirement age.

He said he had read both the old and the new constitution passed in 2010 and he is right to demand that he retires at the age of 74.

Tunoi’s woes began after Kiplagat, a former KASS FM presenter, alleged that he had received Ksh 202 million from Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero to rule in his favour in an election petition filed by the now Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu in an interview aired on NTV.

Waititu had moved to court to challenge IEBC’s decision to announce Kidero as Nairobi Governor after garnering 692,483 votes against Waititu’s 617,839.

The Supreme Court reaffirmed Kidero’s election in August 2014 ending a protracted court battle that had lasted for over a year.

Following the latest development, Waititu now wants the decision confirming Kidero as Nairobi Governor quashed and investigations launched into the bribery claims against Tunoi.

Kidero has however denied the bribery claims saying he has never met Kiplagat not Justice Tunoi.

Tags:

election supreme court Judicial Service Commission Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Prof Margaret Kobia case AG favour Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu Judge Philip Tunoi special committee petiton

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