Pastor Ezekiel Odero seeks to delay ruling on 30-day detention

Detained televangelist Ezekiel Odero has filed an affidavit seeking to stop Shanzu court from delivering a ruling on a police application to detain him for 30 days.

In fresh documents filed before Shanzu court, Mr Odero wants the court to order a rehearing of the police application.

He argues that he will suffer a miscarriage of justice should the court deliver the ruling.

"There is a pressing need of arresting the delivery of the ruling set for today so that the court can equally consider the written affidavit of the respondent in response to the numerous accusations against him as a person and the ministry he leads," his lawyers, Cliff Ombeta and Danstan Omari, said in the affidavit.

According to the advocates, the police affidavit filed by George Muriuki was brought in “bad faith” and is “an evil attempt to unlawfully seek the limitation of Pastor Ezekiel's right to liberty without justification”.

The advocates argued that the state allegations are “a wicked attempt to scandalise Pastor Ezekiel's name by creating a connection between him and Kilifi cult leader Paul Mackenzie due to a previous commercial transaction that failed”.

"Unless this court arrests the delivery of its ruling on whether or not there is a reason to detain Pastor Ezekiel for 30 days, and consider his written affidavit in rebuttal of falsehoods contained in the police affidavit, there will be a miscarriage of justice as the court will not be properly equipped to render a just and well-informed determination," said the advocates.

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