Holes poked in Shollei defence

Former Judiciary Chief Registrar Gladys Boss Shollei addresses a past press conference at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi. Photo/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Commission insists the sacked chief registrar violated laid down procurement rules
  • Accusations and counter-accusations fly in the corridors of justice

The Judicial Service Commission has dismissed former chief registrar Gladys Shollei’s explanation for her actions.

The commission said that in her response, Mrs Shollei failed to show if the Judiciary got value for money in buying second-hand furniture and fittings at Rahimtulla Towers without approval.

The commission says in submitting two reports that contain variations, Mrs Shollei had attempted to show that the valuation report took into account the condition of each item before arriving at the final cost.

She presented an interim and final report by valuers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology as proof that the Judiciary had saved over Sh70 million by buying the used furniture from PricewaterhouseCoopers who were vacating the building to pave the way for Judiciary staff.

The commission also alleges that Mrs Shollei allowed a junior judicial officer, Mr Nicholas Okemwa, to witness the signing of a lease agreement for Elgon Place, where senior judges were to be relocated, yet the officer was unauthorised to do so.

“Notwithstanding this, there was no proof that at the time, the officer had a valid practising certificate,” reads the commission’s reply.

The commission also says the Judiciary was not refunded more than Sh43 million by Sealink Holdings, the owners of the Elgon Place, after the Judiciary headquarters and Judicial Training Institute paid the amount.

It says that from her final report, Mrs Shollei admitted the anomaly but there was no evidence that the money was refunded.

Mrs Shollei’s attempt to show that a Sh58 million Equity Bank pre-financing guarantee to Lekha Trading for ICT services was authentic, was dismissed as an afterthought since it had not been sealed and signed when initially presented.

The ICT director on October 15 had said the equipment did not meet specifications, was refurbished or at worst stolen.

The commission asserts that Lekha Trading might have submitted a forged document to authenticate the equipment as the main suppliers disowned it.

There were further disagreements between the former chief registrar and her employer over unauthorised imprests, hiring of casual staff and approval of staff excess leave days.

The commission also questions Mrs Shollei’s rent of a court building in Mombasa, in which she attaches emails claiming commissioner Ahmednasir Abdullahi was interfering with her work and had a personal interest in the matter.