Pastor Ezekiel Odero's lawyer, Danstan Omari, on Tuesday, May 9, called out the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), alleging that it was frustrating his client with malicious intentions.
While addressing the media after filing a court petition against the State, over the closure of Mavueni Church and TV Station, Omari questioned the government's move to freeze Pastor Ezekiel's finances.
Omari claimed that Pastor Ezekiel could not meet his financial obligations, including paying his attorneys, after DCI convinced the court to bar him from accessing over sixteen bank accounts.
"While we were busy working on our case in Mombasa, the DCI went behind our backs and obtain a court order freezing the accounts of Pastor Ezekiel.
"This is an act of legal animosity which is very unnecessary since they had the option of filing the case in Mombasa where we were," Omari lamented.
Visibly irritated by the court order allowing the detectives to investigate suspected financial fraud, Omari vowed to take the fight to the DCI doorsteps and other relevant government officials.
"All the bank accounts were registered in Mombasa, and none of them were opened in Nairobi. This has technically crippled financial activities that the Church of God does on a daily basis," the Lawyer stated.
The lawyer argued that judges and magistrates would soon be convinced of the pastor's innocence - after sufficient evidence is tabled - and justice will be served accordingly.
On Monday, May 8, Pastor Ezekiel suffered a major setback in his attempt to block the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from scrutinising his bank accounts after a Milimani Chief Magistrate Court granted him DCI access to his accounts.
In the ruling, the Magistrate ordered Chief Inspector Martin Munene to probe the accounts for money laundering and other financial frauds.
"It is necessary and desirable to issue the applicant with a warrant to investigate books of bank and mobile money services accounts to authorise the officer to have access to books relating to several account numbers," read part of the ruling.
"Whereas it has been proven to this Honourable Court on oath that for the purpose of investigation into the commission of offences Money Laundering Contrary to Section 3, 4 and 7 of POCAMLA Act No. 9 of 2009, it is necessary and desirable to issue the Applicant with a warrant to investigate books of bank and mobile money services accounts," Court so ordered.
The court also asked the bank managers to preserve the funds for thirty days to allow investigators to review and obtain evidence.
