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- A court docket in Kenya gave police a five-day extension to carry pastor Paul Mackenzie, who faces potential terrorism expenses within the deaths of no less than 110 of his congregants, with out bond.
- Mackenzie allegedly began a cult, the place he satisfied followers residing at an 800-acre coastal property to starve themselves to dying in an effort to “meet Jesus.”
- A second pastor with ties to Mackenzie, Ezekiel Odero, who additionally had quite a few congregants die in an unrelated incident, has been launched on a 3 million shilling ($22,000) bond.
A court docket in Kenya on Friday gave police 5 extra days to carry a pastor going through potential terror-related charges within the deaths of greater than 100 his congregants, lots of whom are believed to have starved to dying.
Police rescued 15 emaciated parishioners from the 800-acre Kilifi County property of Paul Mackenzie final month. 4 of them died after the group was taken to a hospital, and survivors advised investigators the pastor had instructed them to quick to dying earlier than the world ends so they might meet Jesus.
A search of Mackenzie’s property, positioned in a distant forested space, discovered greater than 100 our bodies and dozens of mass graves dug out, authorities have mentioned. Autopsies on the our bodies have been ongoing, however accomplished ones confirmed a number of the buried folks had died of hunger, strangulation or suffocation.
KENYAN PASTORS APPEAR IN COURT OVER FOLLOWERS’ DEATHS, STARVATION CULT
Mackenzie was arrested two weeks in the past for alleged links to cultism. A decrease court docket freed him this week however he was rearrested and offered to a better court docket. Police have mentioned their investigations pointed to indicators of radicalization.
The court docket that ordered Mackenzie held for 5 extra days is contemplating an utility for an extra 90-day detention.
The pastor was arrested twice earlier than — in 2019 and in March of this 12 months — in reference to the deaths of youngsters. He was launched on bond each occasions, and people circumstances are nonetheless continuing via the court docket system.
Kenyan pastor Paul Mackenzie is being held with out bond for no less than 5 extra days. Mackenzie is suspected to have led a cult and satisfied no less than 110 of its followers to starve themselves to dying to “meet Jesus.” (AP Picture)
Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday shaped a committee of inquiry into the deaths.
Ruto tasked the committee with establishing the circumstances beneath which individuals died and figuring out different people and organizations which will bear duty and making suggestions.
The nation’s broadcast regulator, the Kenya Movie and Classification Board, sounded the alarm in 2017 on content material televised by Mackenzie which may promote radicalization. The board’s former chairperson, Ezekiel Mutua, advised native media that the content material was taken off the air and regulation enforcement companies have been notified.
1 OF 2 KENYAN PASTORS IN STARVATION CULT PROBE ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASE ON BOND
One other pastor in the identical county, Ezekiel Odero, was arrested final week in reference to the deaths of congregants at his coastal megachurch. On Thursday, a court docket mentioned Odero might be launched from jail if he posted a bond within the quantity of three million Kenyan shillings (about $22,000) or money bail of 1.5 million shillings ($11,000).
Odero’s legal professionals acknowledged after his arrest that 15 folks died at his church however mentioned the deaths have been reported at a police station as required by regulation. Police have mentioned there was no proof on the time to counsel a crime was concerned.
The pastor stays beneath investigation for his ties to Mackenzie, from whom he purchased a tv channel in 2019.
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Kenya’s nationwide communications authority final week suspended Odero’s TV channel for airing inappropriate content material on exorcism throughout hours when grownup programming will not be allowed.
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