Economy
Court freezes Pastor Ezekiel’s over 25 bank, M-Pesa accounts
Monday May 08 2023
Pastor Ezekiel Odero at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa on May 02, 2023. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NMG
A Milimani court has frozen more than 25 bank accounts and money in M-Pesa linked to Kilifi preacher Ezekiel Odero over money laundering claims.
The court blocked Pastor Odero and his associates from withdrawing or transferring the money for at least 30 days as police conduct investigations.
The order was served to respective managers at Co-operative Bank, NCBA, Equity, KCB, HFC and telecom Safaricom.
“Whereas it has been proven to this honourable court on oath that for the purpose of investigation into the commission of offences of money laundering contrary to sections 3, 4 and 7 of the Pocamla Act, it is necessary and desirable to issue the following orders,” the court ruled.
Pocamla is the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2009.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) claimed the preacher has been receiving huge transactions, suspected to be proceeds of illicit cash.
The police said in the application that they suspected the money was from victims radicalised and made to sell their properties and surrender the proceeds to the preacher.
The police also believe that Mr Odero has links to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, who is in custody after more than 100 bodies were retrieved from an expansive farm in Shakahola, where he runs his Good News International Church.
Mr Mackenzie is under investigation over claims of helping people to kill themselves, aiding suicide, murder, abduction, radicalisation, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
The frozen bank accounts are in the name of Kilifi International School, which Mr Odero is setting up with 16 bank accounts at Co-op Bank and seven at NCBA. The other accounts are in Equity, KCB and HFC, each registered in Pastor Odero’s name.
M-Pesa accounts linked to seven mobile phone numbers belonging to Mr Odera were also frozen. The police said the funds would be transferred unless stopped by the court.
