Detectives have discovered four graves at the church compound of the controversial cleric Father John Pesa’s Holy Ghost Coptic Church in Kisumu.
The team, led by officials from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Kisumu County health officers, uncovered the hidden graveyards along the perimeter wall of the church.
While Nyanza Region DCI boss Geoffrey Kathurima did not give further details about the raid, one of the detectives told Nation that they secured a court order.
“I am aware about the raid by ODPP but yet to get the official information on what transpired,” DCI Kathurima said Friday.
An officer who could not be quoted however stated that the search was necessitated following complaints that the church is hosting mentally ill patients who are kept in deplorable conditions and secretly burying those who die in their custody.
Mr Pesa, while confirming presence of the graves, claimed that they belong to nuns who dedicated their service to church before meeting their deaths.
During questioning by the detectives, Mr Pesa said that believers are not buried in the church compound which has been in existence for over 40 years.
“In case of any death, the bodies are always transported to their respective homes for burial,” he said.
“Even our bishops are taken to their homes for burial after a requiem mass conducted in the church and that applies to the believers,” added Mr Pesa.
He pointed out that they only bury sisters who die and have given their consent and that of their families to the church.
“Other churches do that and our case is not any different, the burials are not a secret like those of Shakahola,” he said.
The church leader now claims that the ill claims about the church are from his enemies who want to finish him off together with his church.
“I do not know what is wrong, it is time you intervened in my case. I am okay with the fact that you people are here for further investigations. We do not have any prisoners or jails here.
“People are often brought here and some are already healed and back to their homesteads. If we would be locking up people here, this place would have no difference with a market place,” he said.
He claimed that the sick are brought to his church strictly for healing purposes through prayer. He also claimed that there are those who come to learn the church doctrines.
According to Mr Pesa, all sick people are always allowed to travel back home once they are confirmed healed.
“For the mentally ill people, we always know they are healed once they are back to their senses and communicate well,” he said.
The detectives however stated that all the grave yards within the church compound will be exhumed once the courts issue an order on the same.
“We will be moving to court to seek orders allowing us to exhume the graveyards to ascertain the identities and the course of their death,” said the officers.
The officers also visited the various rooms in the church compound where at least five sick individuals were found and moved to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The raid comes five months after Kisumu County Department of Health officials raided the church following an investigative report that indicated the patients were mistreated in the church's hidden rooms.
Kisumu County moved to court seeking orders to demolish the church after 23 mentally ill patients were rescued from the church with claims that they were staying in poor conditions.
But the Winam Law Courts, Kisumu, dismissed the case saying it lacked merit.
Last month, a parliamentary committee also raided the church.
