Bishop Gilbert Deya defends himself in a child traficking case saying he was framed by police..Photo/ Richard Munguti
Self-styled tele-evangelist Bishop Gilbert Juma Deya has exonerated himself from the child trafficking and ‘miracle babies’ scandal saying the case is a smear campaign to tarnish his name internationally.
While defending himself before Milimani senior principal magistrate Robinson Ondieki, the United Kingdom (UK) based preacher said he is innocent and had never involved himself in criminal activities.
“When I flew to Kenya eventually l divorced my wife Mary who had been arrested and charged over child theft and the miracle baby saga as my name had been tarnished all over,” Bishop Deya told the magistrate.
He however added that his former wife was eventually acquitted and her name cleared by the judicial process.
“I am innocent as l did no wrong. I am just being persecuted. I urge this court to clear me of any wrongdoing,” Bishop Deya prayed to the court.
Led in his sworn evidence by lawyer John Swaka, Bishop Deya told the court the case brought against him is far-fetched and that ‘no single baby was produced in court to support the child theft racket charge he is accused of engaging’.
The world-renowned preacher told the court, the criminal case filed against him for engaging in human trade was aimed at destroying the Gilbert Deya Ministries whose headquarters is in the UK.
He told the magistrate the theft charges against him were filed after the raiding of his city residence where his wife was whisked away with children she had allegedly stolen from Kenyatta National Hospital.
The bishop said since 1995 he never returned to Kenya since he ‘was fearing for his life and was apprehensive he would not get justice in court’.
As a consequence, he filed a suit in the UK where a Westminster Court Judge restrained the Kenya Government from extraditing him to stand trial over child trafficking offences.
“But how did you return to Kenya if there was an order restraining your extradition,” Mr Ondiek asked Bishop Ondieki.
“Some papers that were alleged I forged were sneaked into the court proceedings and therefore the court viewed me like a fraudster. I was then deported,” he responded.
He said upon arrival he was arrested and detained in a police cell where in the morning he was ‘forced to carry his own urine and feaces in a bucket’.
He said he was horrified by the deplorable condition.
He said he was detained and inhumanly treated.
Re-examined by two state prosecutors Nicholas Mutuku and Hellen Mutellah, the preacher said he had nothing to do with child trafficking and that no evidence linking him to the syndicate has been laid before court.
Bishop Deya was put on his defence after Mr Ondieki ruled in September 22, 2023 that prosecutors had proved they have a strong case against him in the criminal trial that involves allegations that he had stolen five children two decades ago.
Ondieki said he was “satisfied that a ‘prima facie’ case has been established against the accused person. I therefore put him on his defense”.
Ondieki found Mr Deya with a case to answer in five counts of stealing five children, all aged under 14, between 2002 and 2004, in Mountain View estate in Nairobi.
The ruling came 11 years after a Kibera court convicted his wife, Mary Deya, and sentenced her to serve three years for stealing a baby on September 10, 2005 at Kenyatta National Hospital and giving false information to Dr James Kiarie that she had given birth to the child.
Mr Deya, who claimed in televised sermons that he created miraculous pregnancies, faces five counts of child stealing.
His trial started on August 4, 2017 after he was extradited from the United Kingdom.
Mr Deya allegedly committed the offence with others at Mr Deya’s house, number 226, in Mountain View between May 20, 2002 and August 19, 2004. He denied the accusations and is out on a Sh10m bond.
The trial magistrate will resume hearing the case on May 31, 2023 when Swaka and Mutuku will file final submissions before a judgement in rendered.
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