Economy
Court unfreezes Judiciary registrar Anne Amadi’s accounts
Friday June 09 2023
Judiciary Registrar Anne Amadi. FILE PHOTO | NMG
The High Court has lifted orders freezing the personal bank accounts of the Chief Registrar of Judiciary Anne Amadi, which were frozen last month, saying there is nothing to show that she was involved in the day-to-day activities of the law firm registered in her name.
Justice Alfred Mabeya further ruled that there is nothing to show that Ms Amadi benefitted from the Sh100 million allegedly paid by a Dubai-based firm Bruton Gold Trading LLC, for purchasing the 1,500kg bars of gold.
Ms Amadi was barred last month from using or transferring funds in her personal account and those of her law firm, Amadi and Associates, after the gold trading company claimed to have been defrauded of the millions as the consignment was never delivered to Dubai as agreed.
Read: Court extends Amadi’s accounts freeze in Sh100m gold fraud case
“There is nothing to show that the 1st defendant (Ms Amadi) was involved in day-to-day activities of the law firm or evidence to point that she benefited from the funds,” the judge said.
Justice Mabeya, however, declined to strike out the case as prayed by Ms Amadi and two other lawyers, including her son Brian Ochieng, who admitted receiving the millions for the purchase of the gold in 2021.
The judge said Mr Ochieng should carry his own cross because he is an adult, and the fact that she is Ms Amadi’s son does not mean she has to take the burden on his behalf.
Justice Mabeya also said Ms Amadi will remain a defendant as the gold trader Demetrios Bradshaw rightly sued her to show that the law firm is registered in her name.
Ms Amadi, Mr Ochieng, two other Kenyans, and a Liberian citizen have been sued by Bruton Gold over claims that it lost $742,206 between September 22 and October 21, 2021.
The court heard that the money was to purchase the gold bars, but the precious metal was never delivered to the buyer in Dubai.
The other defendants in the case are Andrew Njenga Kiarie, Kikanae Topoti, Daniel Ndegwa Kangara alias Daniel Muriithi and Edward Taylor alias Mboronda Seyenkulo Sakor, a Liberian passport holder.
Mr Ochieng, Mr Kiarie and Mr Topoti are advocates in the law firm Amadi and Associates, while Mr Kangara was representing a company called Universal Gold Logistics Limited (UGL), and Mr Sakor was said to have been the vendor of the gold.
