Former Judiciary Registrar Anne Amadi has strongly denied any involvement in a Sh102 million gold scam, asserting that she was not connected to the case in any way.
The allegations, which accused her of colluding with others through her former law firm, Amadi and Associates, were recently dismissed by the High Court after it was established she had resigned from the firm in 2014.
The accusations surfaced when Briton Demetrios Bradshaw and his company, Bruton Gold Trading LLC, filed a lawsuit accusing Amadi of defrauding them.
Appearing before the IEBC selection panel, Amadi, who is currently vying for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson role, has described the claims as malicious attacks on her character.
"There was actually no reason for me to be in that case. I resigned from the firm in 2014 and was fully engaged in my duties in the Judiciary," Amadi said on Monday during the interview for the role.
She emphasized that such attacks are part of the challenges one must face while serving in public office.
The case began when Bradshaw and Bruton Gold Trading LLC accused Amadi of being involved in the fraud while managing the firm she had left years ago.
However, the court sided with Amadi after it was revealed that she had handed over the management of the firm to her son.
"There is nothing that connects her with the alleged gold fraud case, and I find that the orders freezing her accounts were draconian and should have never been issued against her,” stated High Court Judge Alfred Mabeya, adding that there was sufficient evidence proving Amadi’s separation from the firm and its affairs.
Following the court's ruling, the freeze on Amadi’s accounts was lifted.
Despite the ruling, the controversy surrounding her involvement in the scandal followed her during the ongoing interviews for the IEBC chairperson position.
The position, vacant for over two years, has drawn several candidates, and Amadi is among the 11 being interviewed for the role.
During her interview, Amadi outlined her vision for the IEBC, emphasizing the importance of strengthening voter and civic education to build public trust in electoral processes.
"We need to get to a level where we trust electoral outcomes. The same voters who cause violence are the ones electing leaders. As IEBC conducts voter education, it must extend to civic education," she said.
The selection panel, led by Nelson Makanda, is conducting the interviews at the College of Insurance in Nairobi’s South C estate.
Once the chairperson selection concludes, interviews for six vacant commissioner positions will begin on March 28 and run until April 24.
A total of 105 candidates, including 32 women, have been shortlisted.