Law Society of Kenya summons top officers over Anglo Leasing scam

Kenya: The Law Society of Kenya has summoned three top Government officials to appear before its council over the Anglo Leasing saga.

Attorney General Githu Muigai, Solicitor General Njee Muturi and Senior Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni Kimani are to appear before the council to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.

LSK Chief Executive Officer Apollo Mboya said the society had written to the officers for allegedly not taking the Anglo Leasing cases seriously.

“We have written to the three and we expect them to meet the LSK council soon to show cause, failure to which they risk being given a certificate of dishonour,” said Mboya.

A certificate of dishonour is normally issued in various jurisdictions where the bar association concludes that one of its prominent members is involved in gross misconduct.

Mboya explained that the act of giving a certificate of dishonour to AGs is not strange in Africa.

“It occurred in Uganda and Zambia when the law society in the two countries was not pleased with the conduct of the AGs,” he explained.

East Africa Law Society Vice-President James Mwamu said the three State law officials are now walking on a tight rope — facing the risk of being struck off the roll.

“This is like a vote of no confidence against an individual. Once denied the practising certificates, the AG will be forced by his conscience to quit being a State officer, failure to which President Uhuru Kenyatta may be compelled to force him to resign,” he said.

Further litigations

LSK said Kenya is likely to lose Sh140 billion to Anglo Leasing firms.

The body argued that the payment of Sh1.4 billion to Anglo Leasing architect Anura Pereira exposed the country to further litigations by other companies in the deal.

Speaking in Kisumu during an LSK seminar on New Frontiers of Legal Practice on Friday, the lawyers said they would fight to block the controversial payments that are likely to plunge the country into financial crisis. Mboya said the other 17 firms in the deal are likely to use the payment recently made by the Government as a ground to support their claims.

“The payment opened the floodgates for other claimants who are likely to use similar grounds to demand the Government to settle the debts,” he said.