Nairobi — Former High Court judge Joseph Mutava and three associates have been released on Sh200,000 police cash bail each following their arrest over allegations of soliciting a Sh10.4 million bribe to influence the outcome of a commercial dispute involving a former Cabinet Minister.

The arrests were carried out on Monday by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), with the suspects held overnight at the EACC Integrity Centre Police Station.

The commission is expected to forward the outcome of its probe to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review and possible charges.

Mutava, who previously faced disciplinary proceedings while serving in the Judiciary, was at the center of a 2016 tribunal recommendation for removal from office for gross misconduct.

His challenge to the tribunal's findings was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2019, upholding the recommendation that he be removed from office.

The tribunal had submitted its report to then-President Uhuru Kenyatta in September 2016.

The EACC has intensified investigations into corruption within the justice sector in recent months, warning that attempts to influence court proceedings through bribery undermine the rule of law and erode public confidence in the judiciary.