5 May 2026
The Office of the Chief Justice has been made aware of fraudulent messages circulating via
WhatsApp in which an individual is falsely purporting to be Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder. These
messages solicit donations allegedly intended for the construction of a “safe house.”
The Judiciary wishes to make it absolutely clear that no such request has been made by the Chief
Justice or by the Office of the Judiciary. Any message of this nature is a scam and should be
disregarded. Members of the public are strongly advised not to respond to these messages, not to
provide personal information, and not to send funds.
The Judiciary condemns this misuse of the Chief Justice’s name and position. Steps have been
taken to report the matter to the relevant authorities for investigation.
We urge all citizens to remain vigilant against fraudulent communications and to verify the
authenticity of any request purporting to come from judicial officers or institutions. Official
communications from the Office of the Chief Justice will always be issued through formal channels
and never through unsolicited WhatsApp messages.
End of Statement