Preacher Who Produces 'miracle Babies' Wanted By Kenyan Police

An evangelical preacher who claims to help infertile couples in his congregation have "miracle babies" but is alleged to be at the centre of a child-trafficking racket could try to claim political asylum in Britain.

Gilbert Deya, the self-styled archbishop of Gilbert Deya Ministries, is wanted by authorities in Kenya over allegations that he trafficked children from the slums of Nairobi for childless couples in Britain.

At a press conference in Glasgow yesterday, Mr Deya presented his latest "miracle mother" and vowed to fight attempts by the Kenyan attorney general to force him to face trial in Nairobi.

Mr Deya's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, refused to comment on whether his client would seek asylum in Britain as part of his attempt to fight extradition, but the pastor confirmed he would "if advised to by my lawyer".

Last week the Charity Commission froze the bank accounts of Mr Deya's ministry - which has churches in Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester - pending an investigation into his activities.

Mr Deya's wife, Eddah, was arrested this month in Nairobi and charged with stealing a child from the Pumwani hospital. When Kenyan police raided Mr Deya's house in Nairobi, they found 10 children, none of whom had any genetic connection to the Deya family. Twenty of Mr Deya's "miracle babies" have been taken into care in Kenya after DNA tests showed they had no genetic connection to their mothers.

Mr Deya claims that "through the power of prayer and the Lord Jesus" he has helped many previously infertile women give birth. He says he has helped two women in the UK, one of whom has allegedly had three children in less than a year. He confirmed the women travelled to Kenya to "give birth".

DNA tests show no genetic link between the alleged mother or father and the children. One child is in care in the south of England after an investigation by social workers.

But Mr Deya denies allega tions of trafficking. "I have been judged by the media as a child trafficker, which is a slave trade, but miracles have happened," he said. "God has used me and, I tell you, God cannot use a criminal. They are miracles."

The exact nature of these alleged miracles varies from mother to mother. But there appear to be common factors. The pregnancies do not show up on recognised tests - blood or urine - and the foetus cannot be seen by ultrasound.

With Mr Deya yesterday was Deon Dakkins-Scott, who claims to be nine months pregnant despite having had her fallopian tubes removed.

A spokesman for the Immigration Service said he could not comment on individual cases.