Daily Nation
June 25, 2009
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/615174/-/ukd23i/-/
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| Francois Daniel, (left) a South African national was arrested by police at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport airport in Nairobi today. The police had mistaken him for Mr Thomas Kevin Manton (right), the American evangelist charged for pornography by a Nairobi court on Wednesday. |
It was a case of mistaken identity. A man who the police thought was American evangelist suspected of possessing pornographic material was arrested as he was preparing to leave the country Thursday morning.
The man suspected to be Mr Thomas Kevin Manton was then detained and interrogated for about 30 minutes.
Mr Francois Daniel, a South African national later laughed off the whole incident terming it as ‘funny’ despite missing his flight to Seychelles.
The police however on realising their mistake apologised for the mix up.
He dismissed the idea of suing the police saying,” That would only mean that I will spend more time in the Kenyan courts.”
Surprisingly, he is of about the same height and body build as the man of the cloth arraigned in court on Wednesday for possessing pornographic material.
He was clad in a leather jacket and blue jeans and had a small suitcase with him. The only difference between the two men was probably the different hair colour. The South African national also had on a pair of glasses unlike the American evangelist.
“The police arrested me because they thought I was this person arrested for doing silly things,” he said.
The 56 year old architect from South Africa explained that he was in the country on business.
He told the media he flew in to the country on Wednesday and was on his way to Seychelles on business when he was arrested.
Mr Daniels said he visits the country several times in a year.
He had been mistaken for Mr Manton who denied charges of possessing pornographic material.
The fifty year old evangelist of the Dominion International, a church that operates from a Nairobi hotel, was denied bail and remanded in custody until today for the police to complete their investigations.
He was however granted Sh50, 000 cash bail by the High Court later on in the day on Wednesday.
Kibera magistrate Mr Cosmas Maundu heard that on February 25, this year at Runda Estate in Nairobi, he made or produced an obscene publication - a compact disc - tending to corrupt morals. He did this for the purpose of trade or for the purpose of distribution or public exhibition, the police alleged.
The prosecutor, Mr Joseph Musyoka, asked the court to deny the American bail saying that the evangelist, who came into the country in 2007, might face more serious charges after completion of investigations.
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