Former Judiciary staff back in court as Gladys Shollei denies breaking the law

FROM LEFT: Wycliffe Wanga, Nicholas Mbeba, Thomas Atak, Benedict Omollo, Martin Okwata, Francis Kissinger and Gladys Shollei at the Milimani Law Courts yesterday. [PHOTO: GEORGE NJUNGE/standard]

Former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Gladys Shollei has maintained her innocence in the alleged illegal procurement of a Sh310 million residence for the Chief Justice.

Mrs Shollei, who appeared before the anti-corruption magistrate’s court, pleaded not guilty to three counts relating to the deal and was released on a Sh600,000 cash bail with an alternative of a Sh1.5 million bond.

Through her lawyers Paul Ngarau and Edwin Sifuna, Mrs Shollei pleaded for lenient bail terms, saying she has been out of employment since she left the Judiciary and that she has a young family to take care of.

The former chief registrar was accused before Senior Principal Magistrate Felix Kombo of improperly conferring a benefit to Johnson Nduya Muthama Holdings Limited, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with laws governing management of public funds and engaging in a project without proper planning.

On the first count, Shollei is charged that between April 16 and 30, 2013, being the accounting officer of the Judiciary, she used her office to improperly confer a benefit to the company by executing a contract and approving Sh310 million for the purchase of the CJ’s residence in Runda, without complying with the public procurement and financial procedures.

The second count states that between October 5, 2012 and June 3, 2013, Shollei failed to comply with the law relating to management of funds by not ensuring that the purchase of the house was done in an effective, efficient, economical and transparent manner. She was also charged with engaging in a project without prior planning.

Shollei’s lawyers, Paul Ngarau and Edwin Sifuna, asked the court to release her on the bond terms granted to her co-accused.

State Counsel Peter Nderitu said the prosecution was not opposed to her release on terms similar to those granted to her co-accused two weeks ago.

cash bail

“I have instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions not to oppose bail since the accused has been very co-operative with investigations since the allegations against her were made. She can be released on similar terms,” Mr Nderitu said.

The six former Judiciary officials who were charged two weeks ago - Francis Kissinger, Martin Okwata, Benedict Omollo, Thomas Atak, Nicholas Mbeba and Wycliffe Wanga - all pleaded not guilty and were released on a cash bail of Sh600,000 each.

The case will be mentioned on September 7.

Addressing journalists outside Milimani Law Courts Shollei gave her line of defence. She argued the charges against her did not amount to engaging in any corrupt activity.

She said she was relieved after her accusers finally specified the charges against her.

Shollei argued that when the allegations were first made it was claimed the Judiciary had lost Sh5 billion. Later the figure was reduced to Sh2.2 billion and then Sh1.2 billion. Two years down the line, she added, it had been reduced to a house that was purchased for the CJ, in which no money was lost.

Shollei explained that in the normal course of any business, accounting officers bear the ultimate responsibility for making judgments and decisions based on facts presented to them.