On Monday, a court ordered the freezing of 28 bank accounts belonging to controversial pastor Ezekiel Odero for 30 days, following an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The DCI suspects Pastor Ezekiel of New Life Prayer Centre and Church of money laundering due to his links with Pastor Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International Church, who is under investigation for allegedly convincing his church members to starve themselves to death in order to “meet Jesus”.
The DCI alleges that funds in Pastor Ezekiel’s accounts are suspected to be proceeds from illicit cash obtained from radicalized victims who sold their properties and gave the money to Pastor Mackenzie.
The DCI sought access to several bank accounts at Equity Bank, Co-op Bank, KCB, and HFC Bank, expressing fear that the money held in these accounts may be transferred if the court does not grant access.
The affidavit by DCI officer Martin Munene attached importance to the investigation, stating that it would help to collect confirmatory evidence regarding the financial flow as per the allegations.
Pastor Ezekiel had gone to the High Court in Mombasa last week to stop the state from freezing his accounts, but the matter is coming up for hearing on Tuesday.
His lawyer, Danstan Omari, is doing an application to have the orders vacated, claiming that the State is on forum shopping, and the magistrate’s name in Milimani is not indicated in the orders.
Pastor Ezekiel claims that freezing his accounts will infringe on his and his congregation’s freedom of worship, adding that the threat to freeze his church’s bank accounts is part of the state’s unconventional path to frustrate his ministry.
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