Pastor Ezekiel Odero is still under the microscope of the prosecution's investigations over links to the Shakahola massacre, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has revealed.
In a Tuesday late-night statement dismissing media reports, the prosecutor explained that investigations were still ongoing and that no case against the man of the cloth had been terminated.
The statement was in response to media reports which had hours earlier indicated that the case linking Pastor Ezekiel to the deaths was closed, and the Judiciary ordered his Ksh1.5 million bail refunded.
ODPP explained that when Odero was first arrested, the prosecution sought to detain him for seven days.
"At the expiry of the seven (7) days, the DPP sought an extension of custodial orders for a further thirty (30) days to enable the police to complete investigations, and more importantly to prevent potential interference of witnesses by Mr Odero," the prosecutor explained in the statement.
"The court however admitted Mr Odero to a bond of Ksh 1.5 million with conditions not to interfere with witnesses and report to the investigators on a weekly basis."
After the initial court decision, the ODPP agreed that it was needless for the pastor to keep attending court or presenting himself at a police station as part of the conditions for his release on bail.
His case later came up for mention on Tuesday, August 31, which saw the court close a custodial file.
"The ODPP shall make a decision as regards the results of the investigation as soon as the review thereof is complete," affirmed the prosecutor hours after the ruling, keeping the pastor under legal purview.
"The ODPP undertakes to continue exercising its mandate in accordance with the constitution and the law. To this end, the office shall only make the decision to charge where the evidential and public interest thresholds have been met."
Media reports had earlier in the day claimed that Odero was set free after the ODPP decided to drop all investigations against him.
Some outlets even quoted the prosecution's submissions in court and a ruling that ordered the file to be closed after completion of investigations.
