Televangelist and Ekeza Sacco founder David Kariuki Ngare, alias Gakuyo spent Wednesday night in police cells ahead of planned arraignment over Sh1.3 billion fraud claims.
He was arrested by police at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as he tried to fly out of the country to Zambia for a business trip.
Gakuo was detained before being driven to the DCI headquarters in Nairobi where he was grilled and later locked up at the Muthaiga police cells ahead of his arraignment on Thursday, February 22.
Detectives plan to make a miscellaneous application before the courts to detain him for more days as they wait for clearance of more charges from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
His lawyers said his arrest was wrong.
Gakuyo has been on police radar over allegations of embezzling over Sh1.3 billion from members of his Ekeza Sacco.
He, however, said he negotiated a deal to pay back the money to the claimants, which he has done, his lawyer Ndegwa Njiru said.
The police explained he was arrested after they learned he was to fly out of the country at a time when the ODPP had given consent to charge Gakuyo with among others fraud.
DCI officials aware of the probe said the case allowed to proceed is among 12 that they had opened about the transactions that Gakuyo had with some locals mainly in Kiambu County.
“We had 12 files but only one file has come back with a consent to charge him and that is why he was held,” said an official aware of the developments said.
There are close to 200 witnesses lined up in the case. Gakuyo blamed unknown political leaders for trying to revenge on him.
Gakuyo said in a video his trip was cut short by detectives who apprehended him at the airport.
“They say I cannot leave the country. I’m at JKIA. I just think there is some revenge somewhere. I’m happy I might get an opportunity to see the judge and be told on what case I have. Right now I’m at the DCI airport,” Gakuyo said in the video.
Gakuyo is a popular televangelist and businessman based in Thika. He at one time vied to be the Kiambu governor seat.
