Pastor Ezekiel back in court, wants orders freezing his bank accounts lifted

Pastor Ezekiel Odero now wants the high court to lift orders freezing his accounts. 

In the application before a Mombasa court, the pastor also seeks temporary orders preventing the investigators from carrying out the orders issued in Milimani Magistrates Miscellaneous Criminal Application Number E1348 of 2023.

“That in the interim and pending the hearing and determination of this Application, this Honorable Court be pleased to issue a conservatory order temporarily suspending and staying the implementation of all the consequential orders and proceedings in Milimani Magistrates Miscellaneous Criminal application number E1348 of 2023 to the extent that the same seek to freeze all the bank account belonging to the Petitioner, New Life Prayer Center and Church and Kilifi International School,” read  court papers.

The pastor also wants the the file before the Milimani magistrate court to be transferred to the Mombasa High Court for the purpose of quashing the orders dated May 8, 2023, issued at Milimani Magistrates Miscellaneous Application Number E1348 of 2023, as well as all proceedings and consequential orders and directives issued yesterday.

He contends that the state nonetheless petitioned a lower court to decide a question already before this Court and pending decision.

He further argues that when filing the replying affidavit, the first, third, and seventh respondents failed to disclose that they had petitioned the Magistrates Court to decide a critical issue in this petition.

According to the preacher, the question and subject of freezing his bank accounts was already the subject of a petition before the Supreme Court, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Attorney General, and Director of Public Prosecution were all aware of the subject matter of this petition, which included the question of freezing his bank accounts.

“That the 1st, 3rd and 7th Respondent are guilty of material none-disclosure and have brought these proceedings into disrepute and rendering the same academic and nugatory,”reads court papers