PH
Nairobi – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has recommended that President Uhuru Kenyatta forms a tribunal to probe Supreme Court Judge Philip Tunoi.
The Daily Nation reported that Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Friday said JSC received and adopted a report by the special committee appointed to investigate bribery allegations against Justice Tunoi.
He said the Commission was satisfied that there was “inappropriate interaction and communication” between Justice Tunoi and an agent of a litigant in a matter that was pending before the Supreme Court.
The six person committee was headed by Margaret Kobia, chairperson of the Public Service Commission.
They were investigating allegations that in July 2014 Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero paid US$2 million (KES 200 million) to Judge Tunoi to influence the outcome of a petition in the Supreme Court against his election. The allegations were made by Geoffrey Kiplagat, a journalist who claimed to be the middleman.
Kidero and Tunoi have both denied the allegations.
Members of the committee told The Star they were thought the judge has a case to answer and were going to recommend that the President sets up a tribunal to probe the allegations against him.
A judge can only be removed after a tribunal appointed by the president has found evidence of wrongdoing.
