DPP Seeks Six-Month Detention For Controversial Preacher Paul Mackenzie

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has filed a fresh application seeking court orders to detain controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his co-suspects for six months (180 days). The DPP says this is necessary to allow the police to conclude investigations into the Shakahola massacre.

In a statement on Monday, September 18, 2023, the DPP said that investigations are ongoing and that DNA profiling of the 429 bodies exhumed from the Shakahola forest is a delicate and time-consuming process. Pathologists need at least an additional six months to complete the process and conclusively establish the true identity of the exhumed bodies.

The court has adjourned the hearing of the application to allow lawyers representing Mackenzie and his co-suspects to file their responses.

This is a significant development in the case against Mackenzie, who is facing charges of murder and terrorism related to the deaths of his followers in the Shakahola forest. If the court grants the DPP’s application, it will mean that Mackenzie and his co-suspects will be held in custody for another six months while investigations continue.