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Televangelist Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church is under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the alleged indoctrination of the public.
This is after he was Tuesday summoned and grilled for hours over claims his church is also involved in occultism.
He denied the claims before Kilifi detectives who told him they will summon him if and when needed.
Police aware of the developments said the move was prompted by the ongoing exhumation of bodies from Shakahola Forest in the area from a farm linked to pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church.
So far some 95 bodies have been recovered from graves in the forest, officials said.
The grilling operation led by Kilifi DCI officers saw Ezekiel record a statement over also his alleged links to pastor Mackenzie.
We were unable to get a comment from Ezekiel.
The DCI contingent also inspected the Milele Funeral Home in Mavueni, Kilifi County, which is situated near Ezekiel’s church, and interrogated the morgue attendants.
The attendants refused to discuss what they were asked but argued they had cooperated well with the police.
On Tuesday, while inspecting the exhumation operation at Shakahola, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said police are investigating flamboyant preachers whose teachings appear contrary to the law.
“Any faith that kills people or engages in criminal activities in the name of religion must be stopped, and this is the time to stop these charlatans,” said the CS.
Meanwhile, police were Wednesday granted orders to search and seize all property belonging to Mackenzie and eight other suspects.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji had on Tuesday directed the investigation officers to identify the assets of the suspects for preservation, confiscation and forfeiture.
Sergeant Joseph Yator of Malindi DCI was granted orders to search Mackenzie’s premises where he lives and carries on his business in Furunzi and Shakahola.
The officers were also granted orders to search the premises and residences of Robert Kahindi Katana, Sanga Stephen Muye, Gedion Mbithi Kioko, Joseph Kenga Mbogoli, Stephen Ominde Lwangu, Smart Mwakalama and Alfred Asena.
The search is to retrieve bank details or documents, title documents, sale agreements, motor vehicle details and any other item linked to the offences of terrorism, radicalization, or murder.
The detectives were also authorized to seize any such property as stipulated in the execution of the warrants and bring them to court for appropriate orders
Malindi Law Courts Magistrate ordered that the search be conducted in the presence of the counsel for the respondents who will also make an inventory of the items or goods that will be seized during the search.
The search warrants are valid for ten days and the search of the premises will be conducted during day time.
On Tuesday, Haji said MacKenzie may face terror charges.
He added that the suspects may have committed serious crimes including murder, counselling and aiding persons to kill themselves, terrorist acts by threatening national security and public safety and radicalization.
“The suspects may have been promoting radical belief systems to facilitate ideologically based violence to advance political, religious or social change,” he said.
This is contrary to Section 12D of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012 and upon conviction, a person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 years.
The DPP had also on Tuesday obtained further orders for the exhumation of an unknown number of bodies from the 800-acre land.
Some 34 people have been rescued from the forest. Kindiki imposed a 30-day curfew on the larger Chakama Ranch which hosts Shakahola to enable ongoing police operations there.