| Ramadhani set to lead Kenya probe | Send to a friend |
| Thursday, 02 February 2012 22:45 |
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The Citizen Correspondent Nairobi. Former Tanzania Chief Justice Augustino Ramadhani has been sworn in to head the tribunal that will probe allegations of misconduct against suspended Kenyan Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza.Mr Justice (rtd) Ramadhani was sworn in at the Supreme Court in Nairobi to chair the seven-member tribunal appointed last week by President Mwai Kibaki. Other members of the tribunal who were also sworn in on Wednesday were Prof Judith Mbula Bahemuka, Justice (rtd) Philip Ransley, Surinder Kapila, Beauttah Alukhava Siganga, Grace Barbara Ngele Madoka and Prof Mugambi Jesse Ndwiga Kanyua. Ms Valeria Onyango will be the tribunal’s lead counsel, while Mr Gideon Solonka Kilakoi will assist her. Tribunal members neither spoke to the media nor answered questions after the short ceremony presided over by Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. The tribunal was sworn in a day after Mr Justice Mutunga appointed a three-judge bench to hear a case seeking to stop the probe into the conduct of the deputy chief justice, who is accused of assaulting a security guard, Ms Rebecca Kerubo, and threatening her with a firearm at a Nairobi shopping mall on New Year’s Eve. The bench comprises Mr Justice Mohammed Warsame, Lady Justice Hellen Omondi and Mr Justice George Odunga. Lady Justice Baraza got a reprieve on Monday when a court stopped the tribunal from investigating her conduct. Mr Justice Warsame issued the temporary orders after the DCJ’s lawyers sought the orders for the second time. “I order that the tribunal shall not summon her until the petition is heard and determined,” said Mr Justice Warsame. Mr Justice Warsame, while issuing the interim orders, said that Ms Baraza would not appear before the tribunal until the case she has lodged is heard and determined within the next 45 days before a three-judge bench. Lady Justice Baraza has been accused of pinching Ms Kerubo’s nose and threatening her with a pistol at the Village Market shopping mall. Ms Kerubo alleges that the judge attacked her when confronted after ignoring security screening, admonished her, asked her bodyguard to shoot her and then brandished a pistol when the male officer refused to do as ordered. Ms Baraza has since denied the claims. The Deputy CJ has, however, acknowledged that there was an incident at the mall, which she described as “unfortunate”. She said she “had no intention of high-handedness, arrogance or ill-will”. The Judicial Service Tribunal recommended her suspension on January 13, and asked President Kibaki to appoint a tribunal to investigate her conduct. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
