Supreme Court Judge Smokin Wanjala, on Wednesday, responded to a petition filed against him for allegedly receiving a Ksh75 Million bribe in the ruling for Wajir gubernatorial election petition.
In his response, Justice Wanjala asked the petitioner, Jared Ongeri, to provide CCTV footage transcripts, recordings or other scientific evidence to substantiate that he received the bribe as alleged.
Dismissing the petition, the Supreme Court Judge termed the petition as “pre-mature and a cruel assault against the character, integrity and standing of the apex court in the land.”
Through his lawyers, Kaplan and Stratton Advocates, Wanjala further urged the petitioner to provide names and identities of people he allegedly communicated with during the hearing.
"Our client shall accordingly repose in expectation of a formal lawful decision of the JSC dismissing the said petition and letter dated March 11 to pave way for determination of the application for review before the Supreme Court and allow our clients to take steps before the legally mandated institutions to investigate the issues raised and redress,” read the response in part.
He added that the Judicial Service Commission's (JSC) decisions on the matter would be null and void as its assessment would be limited.
“Any purported investigations by the JSC would put it in a situation where it must step into the shoes of the petitioner by looking for evidence to sanitize an irredeemably limping and deficient petition,” read court papers.
Earlier on Tuesday, a man from Wajir, Mohammed Mohamud Sheikh, who was seeking the removal of four Supreme Court judges over gross misconduct has now filed an application to withdraw it.
He had sought the removal of Justices Mohammed Ibrahim, Jackton Ojwang, Smokin Wanjala and Njoki Ndung’u for violating the Constitution during the Wajir gubernatorial petition.
He, however, did not give details on why he wanted the petition removed.
