Judiciary Ombudsman,Kennedy Bidali has once again been summoned as a witness to give evidence in the ongoing case against Supreme Court Judge Justice Phillip Tunoi. Mr. Bidali had failed to appear for cross examination on May 18,2016 after a previous summon was issued, saying he was attending a judiciary meeting in Mombasa. Bidali told the tribunal’s special committee that Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndungu’s secretary had told him Geoffrey Kiplagat, who accuses the Supreme Court Judge of having received the Sh200 million bribe, had been a regular visitor to Tunoi’s office between May and August 2014.
Mr. Bidali told the JSC special committee that Sarah Wanjiku Maina, the secretary, intimated to him that Kiplagat was a regular visitor to the judge’s office between May and August 2014. The secretary denied ever seeing Kiplagat before the affidavit became public and burst into laughter when she was informed that Kiplagat had testified that she gave him tea, newspapers to read and made him comfortable.
The tribunal heard that Judge Tunoi and Ms Ndung’u have a shared reception where their two secretaries sit and at the same time a single entry to their chambers although Tunoi has a separate door, which he seldom uses. Tunoi’s secretary Sophia Nyai also denied ever seeing Kiplagat at the Supreme Court building.
The tribunal investigating bribery allegations against suspended Supreme Court Judge Philip Tunoi resumed its sittings this morning after it adjourned last week to allow the judge to follow the ruling on his retirement age.