Angry crowd heckles Pastor James Ng'ang'a outside Limuru law courts

Pastor James Ng'ang'a consults his lawyer Kam Nyakundi at Limuru law courts. [PHOTO: GEORGE NJUNGE/STANDARD]

Televangelist James Maina Ng’ang’a was Friday heckled by members of the public outside the Limuru law courts.

The crowd, which had been barred from the court premises by police officers in riot gear, made their feelings on the apostle known as he was leaving the court, which had just released him on bond.

Yesterday, the court handed Ng’ang’a a Sh500,000 cash bail. Ng’ang’a was charged alongside Inspector Christopher Nzilu, Inspector Patrick Kahindi and Simon Kuria, who were handed a Sh100,000 bond or Sh50,000 cash bail.

Pastor Ng’ang’a of the Neno Evangelism Ministries is facing charges in a case involving an accident on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway at Manguo that led to the death of one person.

The televangelist has denied the charges of causing death by careless driving, failing to report an accident, giving false information and conspiring to defeat justice.

Kuria has denied giving false information to the police that he, not Ng’ang’a, was behind the wheel of the Range Rover when the accident happened. Nzilu has denied giving false information to an officer at Tigoni police station, Limuru, that Kuria was the driver of the vehicle and wilfully concealing the identity and whereabouts of Pastor Ng’ang’a whom he knew was the driver at the time of the accident.

Kahindi, who is attached to Tigoni police, has denied failing to conduct proper investigations.

Releasing the four, Limuru Senior Resident Magistrate Timothy ole Tanchu ruled that if they interfere with witnesses, the witness protection agency would be mandated to take action.

The court will on Wednesday next week give a ruling on whether the prosecution should extract blood samples from Apostle Ng’ang’a. The prosecution, led by Prosecutor Catherine Mwaniki, told the court they need to compare Ng’ang’a’s blood samples with the ones collected on the scene of accident.

But Nga’nga’s lawyer objected and asked the court to allow their doctor be present when the samples are drawn. “We want out doctor to present during the extraction of the blood and we also want samples given to us,” said Assa Nyakundi, the televangelist’s lawyer.

Ng’ang’a’s lawyers asked the court to order for the release of a Mercedes Benz and mobile phones confiscated by the police from their client. The prosecution withdrew the first case against Simon Kuria who is alleged to have been driving the Range Rover at the time of the accident, saying a decision had been reached to charge him with other offences after more investigations were conducted.

Meanwhile, a KTN journalist was injured yesterday by men wielding machetes and rungus while covering a break in at Ng’ang’a’s karen home.

Cameraman Tom Nyongesa sustained injuries on his head and arm and his camera forcibly snatched outside Ng’ang’a’s home by the armed men. Efforts by the police to recover the camera were futile.

“The occupants of the house have refused to give up the camera on the claim that their right to privacy was infringed. We have therefore directed them to submit it at Hardy police station and launch a complaint,” he said.

Ng’ang’a’s lavish home was broken into at 3am on Friday by four men who made away with Sh500,000, jewellery and electronics.

“One of the men had a pistol and they used a cutter to get through the grilled windows before escaping through the fence. We are pursuing them,” said area Deputy OCPD Mwangi Kuria.