Judge testifies in bribery bid case involving former student leader

Justice Daniel Musinga at a Milimani court on Tuesday,April 29,2025 where he testified in a case where former University of Nairobi President Anthony Manyara was charged with allegedly soliciting a bribe on his behalf from Mary Muthumbi in order to get a favorable ruling in a case touching on her. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard] President of the Court of Appeal Justice Daniel Musinga on Tuesday testified before the Milimani Law Courts. This is in a case where a former University of Nairobi student leader allegedly attempted to solicit a Sh1.03 million bribe from a litigant while claiming to act on the judge's behalf. Appearing as a prosecution witness, Justice Musinga told the court that he was shocked to learn that the former student and activist, Anthony Muchui Manyara, had approached a party involved in a pending case at the Court of Appeal, claiming he could influence the outcome in exchange for the money. "I do not know the accused person and have never interacted with him in any professional or personal capacity," Justice Musinga testified. "I have never sent anyone to collect money on my behalf in any case. Any such claims are false and intended to undermine the credibility of my work and the judiciary," he added The alleged incident occurred in November 2023 when Manyara reportedly contacted a litigant, namely Mary Wagaki Muthumbi, in a civil appeal pending before the appellate court. He allegedly claimed that Justice Musinga would assist in appointing a favourable bench to preside over the matter. The DPP claims the student misrepresented himself as having access to the judge and offered to secure a favourable ruling in exchange for the bribe. In his evidence, Justice Musinga narrated before Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego how he was informed by the Chief Justice Martha Koome that she had received a letter from a woman alleging an attempted bribery involving his name. The judge also presented the letter written to the Chief Justice by the complainant, Muthumbi, revealing that Manyara had sought USD 5,500(equivalent to Sh 710,569 ) to help her procure a favourable bench and decision. The court also heard that Manyara had sought as a "service fee" for himself of USD 1250 (Equivalent to Sh 161,537) According to Justice Musinga, the allegations are not only false but also defamatory. Nonetheless, he recounted to the court what was contained in Mugundi's complaint: "She reported incidents in which Anthony Manyara had called her and alleged that I had sent him to solicit a bribe of US$6,750 so that I could constitute a friendly three-judge bench to hear an application for extension of time," Justice Musinga testified. Justice Musinga told the court that indeed he has never handled the case, and among the judges who have handled the case are Justice Mumbi Ngugi who handed an application seeking to extend the appeal filing period. In cross-examination, Manyara told the trial magistrate that he had never met Justice Musinga at any given point in his life, denying the bribery allegation. He also said he has no questions to ask Justice Musinga over his evidence in court. Muthumbi, who is an ICT employee in an Indian based company, also testified, telling the court how Manyara had presented her with a demand message allegedly from Justice Musinga, requesting USD 5,500 for the judge and USD 1,250 as a "service fee" for himself. Testifying under oath, she told the court that Manyara contacted her multiple times, demanding a bribe of US$6,750, supposedly at the behest of Justice Musinga. Muthumbi, a litigant in a pending civil appeal, gave a blow-by-blow account that began with an unexpected phone call and culminated in a late-night meeting at Karen in Nairobi, during which Manyara allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for judicial favors. "I received a call from a strange number around midday on November 28, 2023," Muthumbi told the packed courtroom. "The caller asked, 'Are you Mary?' and introduced himself as Anthony Manyara. He told me he was handling a matter at the Court of Appeal to relates to her and wanted to help." What followed, according to her testimony, was a highly orchestrated meeting at Artcaffe at The Hub in Karen on November 28, 2023, at around 7:00 p.m., where Manyara introduced himself as an architect and a law student at the University of Nairobi. His demeanor, she said, was flashy and overly confident. "He wore a blue suit, carried Mercedes-Benz keys, and asked if I had seen him in pictures with former prime Raila Odinga. He said he had moved from opposition politics to the ruling government side and boasted of knowing the DCI Boss," she testified. The woman also revealed that Manyara was given Sh 5 million by a senior government official to shift alliance from opposition to the ruling administration. Muthumbi told the court that Manyara went on to name Justice Musinga, claiming the judge would help appoint a "friendly bench" to hear her delayed appeal, provided she paid a bribe. "He said my lawyer's failure to file on time could be fixed. He mentioned a total of USD 6,700, USD 5,500 allegedly for Justice Musinga and USD 1,200 for himself as a 'service fee.'" She further shocked the court when she said that Manyara handed her a demand message, supposedly on behalf of the judge. "I asked him, 'Are you telling me justice is for sale in Kenya?' I am a Roman Catholic, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He replied that the judicial system is deeply corrupted and that's why I lost at the High Court." However, the case was adjourned to June 18, 2025 to enable Manyara to seek the services of an advocate for further hearing.

Judge testifies in bribery bid case involving former student leader

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