Former Kass radio journalist Geoffrey Kiplagat (pictured) admitted yesterday he does not know how his sensational Sh200 million bribery allegations against suspended Supreme Court judge Philip Tunoi reached Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
The scribe said he never instructed anybody to deliver his explosive affidavit to the head of the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which recommended to President Uhuru Kenyatta to suspend the long-serving judge and appointed the seven-member tribunal to investigate his alleged misconduct.
Kiplagat said he was advised by lawyer Paul Muite to record the sworn statement on November 22, 2014, after two episodes when strangers, who were apparently monitoring his movements in Nairobi, threatened to kill him. He had taken his hand-written notes to the offices of lawyer Issa Mansour, who drafted the affidavit and commissioned it.
Kiplagat, who is the first witness and complainant against Justice Tunoi, explained to the tribunal that he signed the document but he did not pick a copy since he was returning to Eldoret. He did not give a copy to Muite. He confirmed that Issa sent him a copy of the affidavit on e-mail on January 22, last year.
Kiplagat recalled that the Judiciary Ombudsman, Kennedy Bidali, called him on phone last November and requested him for an interview regarding the allegations. Kiplagat reportedly refused to meet Bidali in Nakuru but in Eldoret a fortnight later. The witness said he was interviewed at the chambers of the Eldoret chief magistrate and it was recorded by a Judiciary employee.
“Bidali asked me whether I wanted to withdraw my affidavit or they could act on it. I was not promised any benefits,” he told the tribunal yesterday while under cross-examination by lawyer Fred Ngatia (for Tunoi).
“I do not recall telling Bidali I had been promised Sh30 million for the delivery of the bribe to Tunoi,” he said, alluding to the hefty bundle that was allegedly given by Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero to get a favourable judgement in the election petition.
Kiplagat was the first witness to appear before the JSC special committee chaired by Prof Margaret Kobia. After marathon sessions in which many witnesses, including Justice Tunoi, gave evidence, the committee recommended to the JSC that the allegations required to be interrogated by the tribunal.
The post I don’t understand how CJ got bribery claims, says Kiplagat appeared first on Mediamax Network Limited.