Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life International Church faced a fresh legal challenge on May 15, when the Mombasa High Court rejected his request to unfreeze his 16 bank accounts, which were being investigated.
High Court Judge Olga Sewe refrained from commenting on the legality of the orders given by Milimani Magistrate Court in Nairobi, as she considered Pastor Ezekiel’s applications to be misconceived.
Simultaneously, Pastor Ezekiel’s plea to reinstate his television channel was denied by Judge Sewe.
Prior to heading to court, Judge Sewe suggested that Pastor Ezekiel and his team of lawyers should first explore all the available legal options with Communication Authority.
Pastor Ezekiel filed a motion on May 3rd at the High Court in Mombasa, as he requested for conservatory orders to halt the government from freezing more than 16 personal and church bank accounts.
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) voiced its disagreement with Pastor Ezekiel’s appeal to reopen the bank accounts of the New Life International Pastor.
The freezing of the pastor’s accounts was deemed necessary by Senior Assistant DPP Virgina Kariuki, who warned the court that reversing this decision could have severe consequences for ongoing investigations into alleged money laundering.
ODPP reported to Milimani Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi that significant progress was being made in the investigation following a thorough review of the individual’s mobile money files and bank records.
The ODPP stated that they had no knowledge of a case filed by Pastor Ezekiel in the High Court of Mombasa.
Discovering the origin of the finances is our main purpose of being here, expressed Virginia. On Monday, the verdict will be delivered according to the judge. Their relocation to Shanzu court was unforeseen by us.
Pastor Ezekiel’s legal team comprising of Danstan Omari, Sam Nyaberi and Cliff Ombeta, raised objections to the application submitted by the DPP. They argued that it failed to take into consideration an ongoing case in progress at the Mombasa High Court.
According to Omari’s testimony in court, the New Life Church and Kilifi International School have been severely impacted by the existing freeze orders, resulting in the disruption of services provided to more than 300 children.
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