NAIROBI, Kenya May 3 – Televangelist Ezekiel Odero has moved to the High Court seeking orders to have his New Life Prayer Center and Church in Kilifi County re-opened.
Pastor Odero through his lawyers also wants the court to compel the Communication Authority (CA) to revoke the suspension issued against his World Evangelism Television.
“The closure of the two without a written notification is part of an unconstitutional path that the government has taken to frustrate my client for they know too well that he is innocent of all the evil accusations they accuse him of,” Odero’s lead lawyer Danstan Omari said.
Odero who has been linked with the Shakohola massacre where followers of Pastor Paul Mackenzie were told to starve to death in the pretext of meeting with Jesus, is suspected of murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalization, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering.
The court in Mombasa on Tuesday allowed police to detain Odero until a hearing on May 4, refusing a request by the prosecution to hold him for 30 days.
In his latest petition, Omari argues that his client’s fundamental rights have been violated citing the threat by the government to also freeze the church bank accounts.
“The respondents have connived an evil and malicious scheme against my client which is aimed at frustrating him and his ministry,” Omari said.
When he was presented in court, Prosecutors said they have credible information linking the corpses exhumed at Shakahola to the deaths of several “innocent and vulnerable followers” from Odero’s New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
Prosecutors have linked Odero and Mackenzie, saying in court documents that they share a “history of business investments” including a television station used to pass “radicalised messages” to followers.
In his filing to the court, Odero said he wanted to “strongly disassociate” himself from Mackenzie and disagreed with his teachings.
