The arrests of Justice Aggey Muchelule and Said Chitembwe, according to Chief Justice Martha Koome, have raised concern among Judges and Judicial officers.
CJ Koome said in a statement on Friday that she had already been briefed on the subject by the two Judges, but that she had received no official complaint from government agencies as the head of the Judicial Service Commission.
While stressing that it would be inappropriate to comment on a case currently before the court, the Chief Justice stated that she will wait for the results of the investigation before making a more thorough statement.
CJ Koome also assured the Judges and Judicial Officers that their independence, as well as the independence of the Judiciary, is legally protected.
“I assure all Judges and Judicial officers that the independence of the Judiciary and their constitutional duties are protected by the Constitution,” CJ Koome said “They should therefore continue discharging their duties without any fear in accordance with their oath of office.”
Meanwhile, High Court Judge Justice Ngaah issued orders on Friday in which he prohibited the DCI from detaining or prosecuting Justice Aggey Muchelule.
The orders come amid uproar from lobby groups that have accused the State of humiliating the two judges on non-existent charges.
According to Lawyer Danstan Omari who is acting for the Association , the woes that have beset the Judges have been orchestrated by the State.
“The due process was not followed, if there are issues, you first inform the JSC not proceed to arrest them,” Omari said on Friday “What were the charges? Who was the complainant, these people were arrested and released without bond”
The two Judges who are part of the six who were not appointed by President Uhuru, according to the Lawyer, are targets of the law-bending State.
“The game of the DCI was to get the Judges out of the chambers and then plant money there before conducting the search,” Omari added. “Why did they conduct a search without the Judges lawyers present”
