Commissioner Irene Masit, through her lawyer Donald Kipkorir, stated in Friday’s status conference before the tribunal that she had been threatened and told to resign by an unidentified woman who allegedly called her earlier in the day.
Masit also sought to stay the proceedings, citing an ongoing case in the High Court that seeks to invalidate the tribunal’s work.
“This tribunal is subordinate to the High Court, and given that we now have a petition seeking to quash these proceedings, it may be in order that we defer taking directions until after the 19th of December, once we know what the trial judge will direct,” Kipkorir said.
Masit, through Kipkorir, also told the tribunal that she should not face the charges alone, despite the fact that her co-accused, namely Justus Nyang’aya, Juliana Cherera, and Francis Wanderi, have already resigned from IEBC.
“Now that there is only one commissioner left, there must be a new mandate,” Kipkorir said. “Unless this tribunal says it has a mandate to revise the gazette notice on its own motion and proceed against one commissioner.”
Masit’s Lawyer also stated that the suspended IEBC commissioner was ordered to resign by Friday or face unspecified consequences.
She also told the tribunal that despite being on suspension and not being fired, her staff, including bodyguards and a vehicle, had been withdrawn.
