KENYA: Catholic Missionary Denies Sex Scandal
NAIROBI,June 16,2009
A statement issued today by Comboni missionary Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana in response to a news report Monday accusing him of sexual misconduct:
I have been absent from Kenya since the beginning of January. I returned yesterday morning because I was informed about what was happening and I wanted to face the situation.
Let me state very clearly. I have not sodomized any child. I am ready to face anybody who can prove the opposite. Yesterday as soon as I was back in the country I went to Kilimani CID office to record a statement,and to deposit an affidavit in which a young man has sworn that he was offered a very substantial amount of money to bring false accusations of sexual nature against me,and when he refused to take part in the scheme,he received threats. I am aware that some criminals do use such allegations of sexual offences to instill fear in lay and religious people working with young people,usually with the intention of extorting money. I am not ready to fall into this trap. This particular story started last October. An anonymous email was sent out,purportedly depicting me naked with a young adult it is impossible to say if it was a man or a woman. Those pictures were clearly doctored using photo editing software,and so I did not accord them much importance. Unfortunately the situation deteriorated when I left the country for some rest. Little by little,I discovered that the real issue was not a simple case of attempted defamation,but it was a much bigger plan to take over the properties that Koinonia has built over the years with the help of an Italian NGO called Amani. I had never considered the monetary value of the facilities and resources we have built for the direct and indirect benefit of the destitute children under our care,but now the properties are estimated at a commercial value of about three million euros,which is more than three billion Kenya shillings. I believe that these properties are the real target of the people behind these accusations. These were people who enjoyed my confidence,and had access to all the documents of Koinonia,and were therefore aware of its commercial value. They came very close to transferring all the properties to their names,in fact the title deeds of our properties have been removed from my office,but we reacted in a legal manner and they are no longer among the Trustees of Kononia. In fact,we have secured the properties safely in the hands of the Koinonia Community Trust.
Signed Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana,Nairobi,16 June 2009