The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has opposed a request by the embattled Pastor of the New Life Church Ezekiel Odero to withdraw any money from his 28 frozen bank accounts.
According to DCI, any withdrawal will be a bias move in their ongoing investigations with officer Martin Munene asking the court to dismiss the application to allow them to conclude probe.
Ezekiel had filed an application seeking to be allowed to withdraw at least Ksh50 million to enable him to run his ministry.
Through his lawyers Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta , Sam Nyaberi, and Shadrak Wamboi he wanted access to two bank accounts held in a Cooperative Bank.
The officer further told the court that the investigations team is yet to receive a report from Safaricom.
On Monday, May 8, 2023, the Court ordered 28 bank accounts attached to the controversial preacher be frozen for 30 days.
Of the 28, 16 accounts are held in Cooperative Bank, nine with NCBA, one at Equity bank, one at KCB, and one at bank account held at HFC.
Ezekiel's Safaricom mobile numbers
The court further ordered for the money held in Ezekiel’s seven Safaricom mobile numbers to be frozen for 30 days pending the completion of investigations.
They say the accounts at Equity Bank, Co-op Bank, KCB and HFC Banks have been receiving huge transactions which they suspect are proceeds of illicit cash Mackenzie has been receiving from his victims.
Among the bank accounts frozen are those registered in Ezekiel’s name, his wife’s bank accounts, in dollars, Euros, and two bank accounts held in Uganda and Tanzania.
"The investigations will enable the applicant to collate confirmatory evidence regarding the financial flow as per allegations," part of the affidavit by Martin Munene - an officer attached at DCI read.
The court will rule on the matter on Friday, May 18, 2023.
