I am not on trial, says Gladys Shollei

Judiciary Chief Registrar Gladys Shollei has defended herself over the Judicial Service Commission’s investigations into her case, saying she is not on trial.

Ms Shollei on Sunday said most queries raised by JSC touched on individual departments within the judiciary, and that she had directed officers concerned to respond to them.

She said JSC only served her with questions on various allegations raised against her following a mutual agreement they signed two weeks ago.

“These queries touch on other individuals and relevant institutions. I, therefore, have begun the process of issuing the queries to the relevant directorates, the tender committee and the internal audit office,” she told journalists at Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi.

She said the queries raised by the employer touched on financial management, procurement and human resource management.

JSC’s investigations are geared towards unearthing suspicious financial transactions amounting to over Sh1.2 billion in various questionable deals transacted in the Judiciary over the past two years.

JSC committees on Finance and Administration, and Human Resource Management summarised the allegations and handed over to the commission’s full committee on Tuesday last week.

Some of the questions Mrs Shollei has been asked to respond to include claims that she secured eight months’ advance salary amounting to Sh3.5 million between October 31, 2012 and November 21, 2012, charging the Judiciary Accounts instead of the Consolidated Fund.

Others include claims of discriminatory selection of staff for foreign trips and training— leading massive financial claims by some members of staff, including Mrs Shollei’s Personal Assistant Nicholas Okemwa.

Other queries related to irregular promotions, alleged single-sourcing of computer servers, and procurement— including the leasing of Rahimtulla building, renting of the Elgon Place, among others.

After the JSC meeting on Tuesday, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga wrote to Mrs Shollei officially, notifying her of the allegations facing her.

“As the accounting officer of the Judiciary, you failed to ensure that public funds are utilised prudently resulting in misuse of approximately Sh1.2 billion,” wrote Dr Mutunga.

Ms Shollei has denied any wrongdoing, defending her track record and insisting that she does not handle procurement directly.

Last month, she told a parliamentary committee that her deputy Kakai Kissinger is actually the chairman of the judiciary’s tender committee.

When she spoke on Sunday, Mrs Shollei did not directly respond to the allegations served to her in a 90 point document signed by Dr Mutunga.

Instead, she charged that there was an attempt to prosecute the case through the Press despite an existing agreement on confidentiality.

“I do not want this issue to be processed through the media because there are laid down procedures that have been initiated.” She is expected to respond to the issues raised within the next two weeks.