Ahmednasir linked to maize supply saga

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Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi. FILE 

By JEREMIAH KIPLANG’AT jkiplangat@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, July 4  2013 at  20:09

A member of the Judicial Service Commission has been dragged into the controversy over the failure by the cereals board to honour a contract with a maize supplier in 2004.

Mr Ahmednasir Abdullahi was accused of using his position as a member of JSC to influence court proceedings in favour of Erad Supplies, a company that entered into a contract with the National Cereals and Produce Board to supply maize.

A key witness to the saga, Mr Brian Yongo, told the parliamentary Public Investments Committee that Mr Abdullahi had informed him of his influence at the commission tasked with recommending judges for appointment by the president.

The committee is investigating the circumstances that led to the breach of contract and subsequent court ruling that NCPB pays over Sh500 million to Erad.

Mr Yongo also tabled an affidavit in which he claimed Mr Ahmednasir had “told me he has full control over the Judicial Service Commission and the judges recently appointed by the Commission.”

The affidavit was filed at Chief Registrar of the Judiciary on May 7, last year.

Mr Yongo, who asked for police protection saying his life was in danger, also told the PIC on Monday that he introduced Mr Abdullahi to Mr Jacob Juma, the Erad managing director.

However, Mr Juma denied knowing the JSC member through Mr Yongo when he appeared before the committee. He said he only acquired Mr Abdullahi’s legal services after realising he “was well conversant with matters on arbitration” through his legal writings.

“I asked Mr Ahmednasir to be part of my legal team because I realised he could help me in the case with NCPB,” he said.

PIC has called several people mentioned in the saga to testify and on Wednesday asked Cabinet Secretaries for Devolution, Agriculture and National Treasury to appear before it.