Televangelist Ezekiel Odero, through his lawyer Jared Magolo, on Thursday, April 27, revealed that he was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
While addressing the Press shortly after Pastor Ezekiel's interrogation, the advocate stated that New Life International Church leader will be released before the end of the day on Thursday.
Magolo further argued that detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were on a fishing expedition noting that they did not have substantive areas of focus but were conducting general inquiries over a myriad of allegations.
"They will release him once they are done with investigations since they have no areas to catch on," Magolo stated.
The lawyer also addressed claims that his client was connected to the controversial Kilifi cult leader Paul Mackenzie arrested over the death of 98 people whose bodies were found in Shakahola Forest.
"On whether the pastor is related to controversial cult leader Paul Mackenzie, I don’t know," Magolo stated while dismissing the question.
During the press briefing, the lawyer further confirmed that he did not know the whereabouts of Mackenzie's wife.
“I didn’t know he had a wife," Magolo stated as he asked the Journalists to avoid getting personal.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, however, confirmed that Odero was facing criminal charges relating to the mass killing of his followers.
"It is notified for information of the general public that today Thursday, 27th April 2023, Ezekiel Ombok Odero, the Head of New Life Prayer Centre/Church at Mavueni within Malindi Sub-County of Kilifi County, has been arrested and is being processed to face criminal charges related to the mass killing of his followers," he stated.
In an earlier press briefing, Coast Regional Coordinator Rhoda Onyancha confirmed that Pastor Ezekiel was being held at the Coast Police Headquarters for questioning over claims that dead bodies had been ferried from his church to a nearby mortuary.
"We have arrested Pastor Odero of the New Prayer Centre church in Mavueni, Kilifi on allegations of deaths that have been happening on his premises and reported in various morgues and institutions," Onyancha stated.
The Regional Coordinator also declared that Pastor Ezekiel's New Life Prayer Centre and Church had been closed down to pave way for an investigation into alleged deaths within the compound.
"We have closed down the prayer center moving forward. Whoever is in there has been cleared out. We will be giving you updates as we progress with investigations," she noted.
