Deya is a flight risk, he'll remain in prison: High Court
Bishop Gilbert Deya. The High Court reversed a Sh1 million bond granted to him, meaning he will stay in prison until the child theft case is concluded. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Bishop Deya was accused of stealing five children.
- A chief magistrate's court granted him Sh1 million bond with two sureties.
- But the High Court cancelled the bond, saying he was a flight risk.
- The preacher will now remain in prison until the court case is concluded.
Controversial televangelist Gilbert Deya will remain in custody pending the determination of his trial in which he is charged with stealing five children.
While reversing the release of the preacher, Justice Luka Kimaru granted the prosecution an additional 90 days to conclude the trial. According to the Judge, Mr Deya was a flight risk.
APPEAL
Justice Kimaru ordered that Archbishop Deya remains at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
He suspended the release order pronounced by Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi.
Magistrate Andayi had ordered that Bishop Deya be released from prison after depositing bond of Sh1 million bond and two sureties.
But the prosecution filed an appeal challenging the preacher’s release, arguing that it took the state 12 years to have Mr Deya come from UK to face the trial.
CHARGES
Mr Deya is facing five counts of stealing five underage children between 1999 and 2004.
His wife, Mrs Mary Deya, was arrested and charged in 2008 with 10 counts of similar offences and was handed a three-year jail term. She was acquitted in some of the charges.
The said offences were allegedly committed between May 12, 1999 and August 19, 2004 from a house in Nairobi’s Mountain View Estate.
Mr Deya is accused of depriving unknown parents their lawful custody of the children because he possessed and harboured them unlawfully.
The prosecution has 33 witnesses in the case and 15 of them have already testified.
