NAIROBI Governor Evans Kidero says lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has linked him to Judiciary bribery allegations because he refused to pay him a fee note of Sh25 million.
Kidero yesterday said the lawyer harbours a grudge against him after he refused to hire him as his advocate in the 2014 election petition.
“My case was so strong that he offered to represent me. But the Sh25 million he demanded in fees upfront was too steep and I already had a competent defence team,” said Kidero.
He threatened to sue both the lawyer and the media for linking him to the bribery allegations.
Ahmednasir confairmed Kidero's claims but wondered why the governor was making them now.
“Yes I met Kidero, because he wanted me to represent him. When I gave him my fee note, he declined and Ferdinand Waititu accepted my terms. What is wrong with that?” said Ahmednasir.
Kidero spoke to the media minutes after he appeared before the Judiciary Service Commission subcommittee appointed by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga to probe the Sh200 million bribery claim against Justice Philip Tunoi.
Kidero said his election petition case was strong and as such it was unnecessary for him to even think about bribing a judge.
The governor said: “Whether it was one shilling or 300 million shillings, I did not pay any bribe.”
Lawyer Issa Mansour, who earlier appeared before the subcommittee, said bribery allegations against Judge Tunoi cannot be blamed on succession politics inside the Judiciary because he is locked out by law from becoming the next Chief Justice.
Mansour said the law requires any individual eyeing the position of CJ to be below 70 years of age and now that justice Tunoi is already 72, he cannot qualify.
Justice Tunoi had taken issue with Mansour for commissioning Tunoi accuser William Kiplagat’s affidavit, hinting at a possible conflict of interest.
The judge had said Mansour is also the lawyer representing the JSC in a case filed by the former challenging the decision to send
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