Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi Files Petition for Removal of 4 Supreme Court Judges over Sh75 Million Bribery
Nairobi lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has filed a petition seeking the removal of four Supreme Court judges.
In a petition filed before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Ahmednasir accuses the four judges of taking a bribe in the Wajir gubernatorial election petition.
He accuses Justices Mohamed K. Ibrahim, Jackton B. Ojwang, Smokin C. Wanjala, and Njoki S. Ndung’u of gross misconduct following their decision to uphold the election of Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi.
“…failure to respect the law or to be able to imagine or perceive accurately the matters at issue in Petition No. 7 of 2018 triggers concerns about their integrity in the discharge of judicial functions, undermines the rule of law and the strength of our democratic institutions,” his petition reads.
He says the four violated all known principles of judicial independence and conduct.
He further claims that the four judges were in constant communication with Governor Abdi while the case was still pending before the apex court.
Ahmednasir says Governor Abdi, through others, and some judges offered a bribe in a bid to influence the direction of the petition filed against his election victory.
He says that an exchange of Sh75 million bribe took place at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) parking base between Sheikh Yunis Ibrahim, and Justice Wanjala.
“Sheikh Yunis drove to JKIA in a Toyota Landcruiser V8 vehicle with a box packed with Ksh.75 million [in dollar currency] in the vehicle trunk,” says Ahmednasir.
Abdi's election was nullified by the High Court, on January 12th, 2018, following a petition by his competitor Ahmed Abdullahi Mohamad.
Dissatisfied by the judgment, Governor Abdi moved to the Court of Appeal where his case was also dismissed on April 20th, 2018.
This prompted him to file an appeal before the Supreme Court on May 7th, 2018 where his election was in February this year upheld.
The four judges ruled in Governor Abdi's favor while Chief Justice David Maraga dissented.