Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi ‘s woes have deepened after a Dubai-based gold businessman petitioned Judicial Service Commission(JSC) seeking to remove her from office over alleged gross misconduct.
In the petition filed before the JSC, the British trader Demetrios Bradshaw, a director of Bruton Gold Trading LLC, wants Amadi removed from the JSC on various allegations including abuse of office, obtaining money by false pretenses and her links into an alleged Ksh120 million gold scandal.
“(We ask that) the Judicial Service Commission takes the necessary steps in line with all applicable laws and removes her from office with immediate effect,” the petitioner Bradshaw states.
The businessman who has lodged the fresh petition before the commission has a pending case before the High Court where he is seeking a refund of more than Ksh100 million allegedly paid to the law firm of Amadi and Associates, which he claims to have been defrauded in a gold scam.
The money in question was meant for the purchase of 1,500kg of gold bars but the consignment never arrived in Dubai.
The case is pending before the Milimani High Court Commercial Division. So far, orders freezing Amadi’s personal and law firm bank accounts have since been issued in the case.
Through the law firm Murage Juma & Company Advocates, Bradshaw seeks JSC intervention to compel Amadi to immediately step aside following the allegations levelled against her.
“Honorable Anne Atieno Amadi has been and remains in gross violation and breach of Articles 73, 75, and 76 of the Kenyan Constitution, Judicial Service (Code Of Conduct And Ethics) Regulations, 2020 and the Judicial Service Act (No. 1 of 2011) warranting the invocation of Section 12 of the Judicial Service Act as read together with Schedule 2 (if Applicable) and Schedule 3 of the said Act,” Director of Bruton Gold Trading LLC stated.
In his petition, Bradshaw claims Amadi and six others illegally obtained and were paid $592,970 (Ksh82,304,236) by Bruton Gold Trading LLC.
The gold trading company based in Dubai explains it was interested in buying gold from Kenya.
One Daniel Kangara who at the time was alleged to be an officer in an entity called Universal Global Logistics Limited (UGL) was to organise the logistics of a 1500 Kgs gold consignment from Kenya to Dubai.
UGL was said to be in the business of exporting gold.
UGL was allegedly represented by Amadi’s law firm for the exportation of the said gold. $592,970 was subsequently paid to the law firm into an account opened by Amadi.
The money was dispatched in four tranches between September and October 2021 but the gold never reached Dubai.
Bradshaw later made enquiries regarding the shipment and was told there was a court order prohibiting the transfer of the gold.
Amadi’s response
Amadi has since distanced herself from the gold scam in an affidavit filed at the High Court.
Amadi states that she was not aware of the transaction by the law firm that retained her name after she took leave which was the subject of the case present in court where she has been listed as the first respondent.
“I am not privy nor a party to the transaction which forms the subject matter of the application herein nor the underlying suit in general. I took leave of absence from my role as a partner in the firm of Amadi and Associates Advocates in the year 2014 following my appointment as Chief Registrar Judiciary, whose leave was duly communicated to the Law Society of Kenya,” she explained further.
“I tendered my leave of absence from the firm of Amadi and Associates Advocates. I am no longer in private practice and I do not draw a salary nor share in the profits from the said firm. The present matter has nothing to do with my office as Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Kenya,” she stated in the affidavit.
But Bradshaw contends that there is no evidence that Amadi ever ceased control or handed over the firm to any of the advocates indicated on the website.
