Tunoi tribunal hearings postponed to Tuesday

The hearing by the tribunal set up to investigate bribery allegations against suspended Supreme Court judge Philip Tunoi has been postponed to Tuesday.

This follows a request by the suspended judge who told the Sharad Rao-led tribunal that his lawyer Fred Ngatia was handling another case at the High Court and could not be available for the session.

Ngatia is said to be taking part in the hearing of a case in which Tunoi and his High Court counterpart David Onyancha are challenging their retirement by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Ngatia was expected to lead cross-examination of witnesses during Thursday’s hearing and Tunoi says the lawyer’s absence would cripple his defense.

Thursday’s sitting comes after Tunoi agreed to a public hearing after he initially requested for a private hearing on the probe into claims he received a 200 million shilling bribe from Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero to alter a Supreme Court petition by Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu challenging his election.