A retired judge is being sought by Interpol for extradition to Kenya over the theft of Sh152 million from a client.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has been ordered to trace and serve Justice (Rtd) Philip Ransley, who has since relocated to the United Kingdom, with summons to appear before the lawyers’ disciplinary tribunal to answer to charges of stealing client’s money.
Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi also issued warrants of arrest against the judge following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The warrants will be executed by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).
Details have emerged of how Ransley was involved into money washing business and embezzled his clients’ money in the belief he would make millions.
The details of how the judge transferred millions of shillings of his clients’ money to individuals are contained in affidavits filed before the Advocates Complaints Commission.
Ransley, who is wanted by the Director of Public Prosecutions to face charges of embezzling funds, reveals how a woman identified as Irene Adema, introduced him to the business of “cleaning” money.
The retired judge, who has since fled to England, says Adema made him believe some persons from the Central Bank of Kenya and De La Rue, were involved in the business.
At first, they allegedly cleaned about €5 million. This was sometimes in June 2015. And to be a member of the “money wash” business, the retired judge said he was informed he had to pay $37,000 membership fee.
He paid the amount on June 9, 2015. Three days later, he was told to pay Sh57 million, to kick-start the business. The instructions were purportedly from the financial controller Dr Phol Gustav Baoteng of Ste Gruppe Rustung – a company supposedly from Sweden.
On June 17, 2015, he allegedly transferred Sh57 million by swift transfer from an account at Chase Bank River Side branch to Joseph Lendrix Waswa.
“In order for the bank to release the money to Joseph, the bank demanded evidence of the transaction,” he said, adding that Joseph advised him to fabricate a fictitious land sale, which they made.
He later transferred Sh43 million to allegedly purchase gas to be used in the cleaning of money. The retired judge later transferred Sh10 million for transportation of the gas and a week later, he transferred Sh12,730,000 to pay security guards to accompany the gas from Mombasa to Nairobi.
A few days later, he transferred Sh7.5 million to settle technician and warehouse charges after he was informed the money had already been cleaned.
He was then promised that the money would be taken to the Central Bank of Kenya
Meanwhile, a managing partner in one of the country’s oldest law firms has been exonerated from blame in the deal.
Three members of the tribunal — Mr Ezekiel Wanjama, Ms Grace Okumu and Ms Gladys Wamaitha — expunged the name of Ms Virginia Wangui Shaw of Ransley McVicker & Shaw Advocates from the proceedings, saying she was not responsible for the loss of Mr John Rowland Minns’ money, which had been deposited to the law firm’s clients account held at the Imperial Bank in 2015.
The tribunal allowed the consent entered between Ms Shaw and Mr Minns’ lawyer that Mr Ransley be pursued personally to pay the money.
The judge and Mr Minns were friends for 40 years. The money was from the sale of Minns’ land in Karen, Nairobi. The court directed LSK to appear before it on November 12, 2018 to explain the alternative method it will use to serve Justice Ransley with the proceedings.