Controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 co-accused have denied five terrorism-related counts before Senior Principal Magistrate Joe Omido at the Shanzu Law Court in Mombasa.
Mackenzie and the 94 suspects were charged with terrorism, engaging in organized criminal activity, radicalization, facilitating the commission of a terrorist act, and having an article connected with an offense under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 co-accused have been behind bars for over nine months for the deaths of 429 people whose bodies were exhumed from the Shakahola forests appeared at the Shanzu Law Court before Senior Principal Magistrate Joe Omido to be charged with five counts including terrorism ,engaging in organized criminal activity, radicalization, facilitating the commission of a terrorist act.
However, all the accused persons denied the charges.
At the same time the State opposed the release of the suspects on either bond or cash bail.
When delivering his ruling Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Joe Omido ordered that the matter be handled by another court.
Omido, further, ordered the accused to be detained in their respective GK Prison.
Next week Monday, the controversial Pastor will appear at the Tononoka children court to be charged with three further counts including subjecting a child to torture, cruelty to a child and infringing a child’s right to education.
The case will be mentioned on the 8th of February 2024.
Ann Mburu