This archive report was first published on 8 September 2021.
On September 8, 2021, High Court Judge Said Chitembwe found himself at the center of a controversy after police officers raided his office and seized Sh770,000 in US currency.
According to an affidavit filed by the judge, the money was intended for his son's school fees at the Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia.
However, the police claimed that they recovered $57,000 (Sh6.2 million) from the chambers of one of the judges, sparking allegations of corruption.
Justice Chitembwe denied the allegations, stating that he voluntarily handed over the money to the police officers after they searched his colleague, Justice Aggrey Muchelule.
He claimed that the police did not state who the unidentified lady they brought with them was, but took her to the toilet in the chambers and allegedly recovered $50,000.
Through his lawyer, Danstan Omari, the judge argued that it was wrong for the police to mislead the public into believing that they recovered the money.
He also stated that he and his wife have kept a dollar account in her name for over three years, making it not unusual for him to have US dollars.
The police have maintained that the search was lawful and the judges were treated with dignity.
