My hands are clean, says former former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

NAIROBI, KENYA: Former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza has said she was never summoned to testify before the parliamentary Public Investments Committee that investigated the contract between National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Erad Supplies and General Contracts Limited.

Ms Baraza told The Standard that she acted as a lawyer for Erad and that her conduct was above board. She said it was “standard legal practice” for lawyers to issue demand letters and invoke clauses in contracts if the demands in those letters were not met.

The PIC, in its report, which comes to the House for debate on Tuesday recommends that the disciplinary committee of the Law Society of Kenya should “investigate the alleged misconduct” of Baraza who acted on behalf of Erad, and that of Mr Joshua Nyawara, who acted for the NCPB.

Baraza said she was willing to appear before the disciplinary committee of the LSK to clear her name.

“Was I part of the fraud? No! Am I a director of Erad? No? I never even did the arbitration,” said Baraza. “If people have defrauded, it is not me.”

Baraza said she was acting for her client, the way any other lawyer would, long before she was appointed Deputy Chief Justice.