BY SAM ALFAN.
Chief Registrar of Judiciary Anne Amadi has denied any links to the Sh130 million gold scandal that saw her personal bank accounts being frozen.
In reply to a petition filed by a Dubai-based gold trading firm, Amadi asked the High Court to lift the order freezing her bank accounts saying she has nothing to do with the transaction.
She sought the lifting of the orders granted by Justice David Majanja on May 18, saying it was prejudicial to her.
“It is therefore in the interest of justice that the court be pleased to stay or set aside its orders issued on 18th May 2023 in so far as they pertain to me to enable me to resume my normal life, provide both for myself and my family as prayed in the present application,” Amadi pleaded with the court.
Justice Majanja, however, declined to lift the order after recusing himself from the case.
Amadi said in the application that Bruton Gold Trading LLC is guilty of non-disclosure of material facts in its pleadings and affidavits.
She denied being a signatory to the accounts of Amadi & Associates Advocates, which was acting for the parties in the alleged gold transaction.
Amadi said she plays no role in the firm and does not draw any income or profit from it since she took leave of absence in January 2014.
She said she is not aware of, has never met and did not participate in the transaction and neither knows the gold company nor the David Taylor alias Mboronda Seyenkulo.
“It has not been shown that the sums alleged to have been fraudulently acquired were transferred, located or domiciled in my personal Bank accounts for the order to issue in its favour and the company has not furnished proof that there is any real danger that am, who is a public officer, will remove any of her assets outside the reach of the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court should the Court find in favour of the Plaintiff herein in the long run,” says Amadi.
She said she ceased engaging in private practice, did not take out any practice certificate or instructions from any client and did not receive any monies from any client or person in that capacity.
Amadi said the firm remained dormant until her son Brian Amadi and Andrew Kiarie took up the management and operations and the two opted to retain the name.
“There was a difficulty with the registration of the changes to the Firm with the Business Registration Service due to the existence of a Business Consultancy Firm operating with a similar name being Amadi and Associates and due to the conflict, the changes to the Firm took a stall and the Amadi’s assistance was required from time to time in certain legal processes such as opening bank accounts and other procedures,” says Amadi.
She confirmed writing an introductory letter to ABC Bank Limited on 9th June 2020 and filled in the account Opening Forms and the letter confirmed that she has ceased practicing as an Advocate in 2014 and confirmed the appointment of both her son and Kiarie as signatories to the firm accounts to enable them to continue to offer legal services to the clients in accordance with the LSK Account Rules.
