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Two pastors at the centre of the Shakahola deaths-by-starvation cult were yesterday hauled before court to answer to charges of terrorism and genocide.

Drama unfolded at the Malindi Law Courts in the morning when Paul Mackenzie was arraigned alongside six of his worshippers to face the charges, only to be set free, albeit momentarily.

In her ruling Malindi Principal Magistrate Ivy Wasike ordered the closure of the miscellaneous file and the transfer of the cases on grounds that her court does not have jurisdiction to handle terrorism cases.

Short lived freedom

But Mackenzie’s freedom was short lived as he was shortly afterwards re- arrested outside the court premises by detectives drawn from the Directorate of criminal investigations,(DCI) alongside those from the Anti Terror Police Unit  (ATPU)  and ferried to Shanzu Law Courts in neighboring Mombasa county, some 103km away.

Separately, at the Shanzu law courts, another equally influential but controversial preacher, Pastor Ezekiel Odero of the New Life Church and Prayer Centre and Church was being processed and hours later, the court ordered that he be detained for two more days in custody to allow police complete their investigations.

Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate, Joe Omido declined to grant the state the 30 days they had requested to firm up their case against the preacher, saying they were too excessive.

“This is a matter of public interest and 30 days is way too long time in my view, the respondent shall be detained for seven days from the day of his arrest,” ruled Omido.

More charges

Police are seeking to link the preacher to numerous deaths that allegedly occurred at his Mavueni-based church.

He is being investigated for murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalization, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, money laundering and being an accessory to crimes.

The state believes that Ezekiel and Mackenzie organized burial ceremonies at the later’s vast Shakhola ranch following the deaths of hundreds of faithful inside the former’s Mavueni church in Kilifi county.

The State through Principal Prosecution Counsel Yamina Jamii told the court that Ezekiel was now being investigated in relation to deaths reported inside his church and the whereabouts of the alleged bodies, which the state now believes were buried in parts of the vast Shakahola land following an agreement between the two preachers.

“Detectives are now seeking to investigate the whereabouts of the said bodies ,and we are apprehensive that if he is released unconditionally he is likely to interfere with ongoing investigations among his faithfuls” Jamii told the court.

Jamii further told the court that Ezekiel was a friend to Mackenzie and were at one point business partners.

Huge cash transfers

“We have already attained proof of transactions involving huge amounts of money between the duo with the latest transfer revealing a transition of Sh500,000 from bank accounts owned by Ezekiel to that of Mackenzie and a sale agreement for Times TV station owned by Mackenzie,” stated Jamii.

Outside the court, hundreds of Ezekiel’s followers turned up in solidarity with their spiritual leader as they offered intercessory prayers, hoping for divine intervention in the case.

Security was beefed up at the courts as police kept guard inside and outside.

The preacher’s matter will be mentioned on May 4 for further directions.

When Mackenzie was finally hauled before the Shanzu court where he had been referred by the Malindi court, he was ordered to remain in police custody for three more days.

The magistrate directed the matter, in which the DPP wants to continue holding the suspects for 90 more days to be handled by his colleague, Shanzu Senior principal magistrate Yusuf Shikanda as he was busy handling the case facing pastor Ezekiel.

The DPP said the previous period of fourteen days that they had been granted by the Malindi court was grossly insufficient because of the nature of the case.

He also directed that the defence counsels Elisha Komora and George Kariuki, be granted access to the eighteen accused persons. Komora and Kariuki had complained of being denied access to their clients while in Malindi.