Paul Mackenzie, the main suspect in the Shakahola farm massacre, and 28 co-accused will remain in custody until December 22, 2023 when the court will give a decision on the government’s request to demand they be detained for 180 more days pending prosecution.
In the request, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jami Yamina listed several basic reasons for the suspects to be detained until the investigation is over.
In addition, he said that since the defendants had previously threatened to hang themselves, detention would be a unique method that would enable the investigation to be carried out and completed so that charges could be filed against them.
According to the prosecution, terrorism laws allow up to 360 days of legal detention pending the completion of an investigation by the parliament. In its wisdom, it extended the days from 90 days to 360 days to deal with difficult cases.
Yamina also opposed the release of six of the 29 suspects of Shakahola as suggested in the reports of the social investigation conducted by the department of Probation and Aftercare Services.
He told Senior Chief Justice Yusuf Shikanda that the suspects should be investigated before being returned to society and their family members have not provided information to prove they will not harm themselves.
More than 420 bodies of Mackenzie’s doomsday cult, where followers were encouraged to starve themselves to ‘meet Jesus’ have been exhumed so far..
