The High Court in Mombasa has ruled that bank accounts belonging to Pastor Ezekiel Odero remain frozen.
Judge Olga Sewe dismissed an application by the preacher to unfreeze over a dozen accounts linked to his Newlife Prayer Centre and Church saying her court had no jurisdiction to handle the case.
Sewe said the application is entirely misconceived and untenable. The Judge added that she will refrain from commenting on the correctness and legality of the freeze orders issued at Milimani magistrates court in Nairobi on May 8, 2023.
This means pastor Ezekiel’s personal and business accounts will remain frozen for 30 days pending investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations(DCI).
The Judge advised pastor Ezekiel to seek an appeal at the Milimani Court in Nairobi.
According to the DCI, the more than 15 bank accounts had been receiving huge transactions of money, suspected to be proceeds of illicit cash from victims who were allegedly radicalised to sell their properties.
The DCI suspects the accounts are linked to the Shakahola massacre.
Judge Sewe also dismissed an application by Pastor Ezekiel seeking to have TV licences back for his World Evangelism and Times TV stations.
The High Court said should be handled by the Communications Authority, which wrote a letter to have the stations shut down.
Justice Sewe the petitioners ought to have exhausted all the legal channels with Communication Authority before going to court.
The judge however ordered that church services should go on uninterrupted.
