We Recovered Ksh6 Million During Raid at Judges’ Offices – DCI

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has claimed it seized Ksh6 million from the chambers of High Court Judges Aggrey Muchelule and Said Chitembwe during last week’s raid. 

In an affidavit filed in court, through chief inspector Felix Banzi, the detectives managed to recover Ksh5 million from Muchelule’s chambers and Ksh700,000 from Chitembwe’s chambers at Milimani Law Courts.

The DCI accused the judges of receiving the amount in order to procure favourable judgements.

Family Court judge Justice Aggrey Muchelule

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Banzi alleged that a meeting between select judges on Wednesday, July 21, led to a Ksh6 million figure being arrived at, and the amount was to be delivered to a particular judge’s residence at 7:00 pm.  

However, the venue was changed upon short notice and rescheduled to the following day at around 7:45 am in one of the chambers at Milimani Law Courts.

The inspector informed the court that the detectives could not obtain a search warrant at the time. 

He pointed out that the exchange would occur at Muchelule’s chambers and the process was allegedly facilitated by Justice Chitembwe. 

Further, the DCI disputed the arrest and harassment claims of the two court judges on Thursday afternoon, July 22. The directorate claimed that detectives only requested to accompany the two justices to DCI headquarters in order to record their statements over bribery allegations. 

“We proceeded to Muchelule’s chamber and upon introducing ourselves as required, progressed to undertake a lawful search at the chamber and thereafter at Chitembwe’s chamber. 

“The search was undertaken in the presence of the relevant officers and persons in the chambers as evidenced by the relevant search certificates duly signed by the persons present,” read part of the affidavit. 

The DCI claimed that both judges were cooperative and after recording statements, they were released.

“At no point were the Interested Parties arrested as alleged by the Kenya Judges and Magistrate Association (KJMA). It bears reiterating that the two judges were only interviewed and recorded statements to assist with the investigations,” part of the affidavit stated.

Chitembwe, in an initial statement, had stated that the detectives had found nothing after the three-hour search. 

“In the end, they gave out a search certificate. And they found nothing. The lady acquaintance who was pushed back into Hon Muchelule’s chambers had some few dollars with her, but she had them with her,” Justice Chitembwe stated. 

Justice Chitembwe Said Juma appearing before the JSC for his interview for the position of Chief Justice on Monday, April 12, 2021

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