Kilifi County DCI detectives have arrested controversial televangelist Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
Pastor Ezekiel was arrested on Thursday morning over his alleged indoctrination of the public. His church has also been closed down.
On Wednesday, the DCI sleuths grilled the televangelist over his relation to the controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International church who is at the centre of the Shakahola massacre.
He denied the claims before Kilifi detectives who told him they will summon him if and when needed.
Pastor Ezekiel also recorded a statement with Kilifi DCI on Tuesday, April 25 over his doctrine and church operations.
He operates the New Life Church based in Malindi, Kilifi County.
It is alleged that a morgue located near Pastor Ezekiel’s church has been collecting dead bodies from the church.
A source who spoke to one of the leading local dailies revealed that the DCI officers also visited Milele Funeral Home and grilled the CEO Mr. Johnson Amani Kea and his staff on the number of dead bodies the morgue collected from Pastor Ezekiel’s church.
Last week, reports emerged that the morgue had filed a complaint with the police against Pastor Ezekiel on claims that he had killed its business by performing rituals and driving away customers on allegations that the funeral home had been built at a blackspot with an aim of getting more people killed in accidents for the business to boom.
However, the funeral home’s CEO has denied the allegations, noting that they have not filed any complain with the police.
“We did not file a complaint. The police are in the process of recording statements on how many bodies we have handled so far from pastor Ezekiel’s church,” Mr Amani was quoted by the local daily.
On Tuesday, April 25, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki confirmed that police officers were investigating other flamboyant preachers whose teachings appeared contrary to what the Law advocates for.
Investigations into the life and doctrines of Pastor Ezekiel follows the Shakahola massacre, in which over 90 bodies were exhumed and over 30 people were rescued while starving themselves to death.
Controversial Pastor, Paul Mackenzie was arrested, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji recommending the following charges; terrorism, genocide, radicalisation and aiding individuals to kill themselves.
So far some 95 bodies have been recovered from graves in the forest, officials said.
Police were Wednesday granted orders to search and seize all property belonging to Mackenzie and eight other suspects.
