Pastor Ezekiel Odero on Sunday, May 28, instructed his Lawyers to take legal action against President William Ruto's government after it emerged that one of the vital files linked to his case went missing.
Lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta told the media that Pastor Ezekiel was planning to sue the state for losing a file containing previous returns of his church, the New Life International Church.
The Lawyers accused the Registrar of Societies in Nairobi of losing the file which they argued contained all tax information about the pastor's church in Mavueni, Kilifi County.
"We have discovered that there is a deliberate attempt to get Pastor Ezekiel in a criminal act by all means. Attempts have been made to even ask for the file but we are told that the file is somewhere but we can't tell where," Lawyer Cliff Ombeta stated.
The Lawyers claimed that the State was hiding the tax return file in order to find Pastor Ezekiel at fault, regardless of the facts they argued had exonerated the New Life International Church overseer.
"We are not sure where exactly this file is," Ombeta claimed while addressing Journalists, and asked the public to give support to their client.
On Friday, May 12, the Registrar of Societies told Members of Parliament that New Life International Church had not filed returns as required by the law.
This allegation was, however, dispelled when the authorities confirmed that New Life International Church had indeed filed returns and issued certificates.
The Registrar of Societies noted Churches in Kenya, including Pastor Ezekiel's New Life International, are required to file annual tax returns with the Revenue Authority.
The tax return must be filed by the end of the fifth month after the end of the church's fiscal year. For example, if the church's fiscal year ends on December 31, 2023, the tax return must be filed by May 31, 2024.
The tax return can be filed electronically, in which, the church must have a valid iTax account and a KRA PIN.
The tax return must include the church's name, address, PIN and the church's gross receipts and expenses.
Other details include the church's assets and liabilities, the church's program services, compensation of officers, directors, and trustees and grants.
In the same session with MPs, on Friday, May 12, the Registrar of Societies confirmed that Pastor Ezekiel's New Life International was duly registered, and the file was with the government.
The Registrar of Societies also confirmed that the New Life International Church sits on plot no. 916 in Shanzu although its postal address is registered in Mtwapa.
It was also noted that New Life International Church's objective is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach the Word of God.
On Saturday, May 28, Pastor Ezekiel's Lawyers also revealed that Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) had seized a number of items from New Life Centre and Church, including communication gadgets, holy water, handkerchiefs and computer drives.
"Officers from ATPU came to church on Tuesday and took communication items, computer drives, holy water, and handkerchiefs, explaining that it was for purposes of expert analysis," stated Ombeta.
