Gqeberha (Formerly Port Elizabeth) – The High Court of South Africa, sitting in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, has found that the prosecution has presented enough evidence against Televangelist 63-year-old Timothy Omotoso.
The Nigerian pastor was in the dock with his two co-accused, 41-year-old Lusanda Sulani and 33-year-old Zikiswa Sitho.
The court dismissed Omotoso’s application for discharge according to Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The court also agreed with the prosecution that the alleged irregular actions by the prosecutor, who has since been removed from the trial, could not be said to have rendered the trial unfair.
Omotoso, who was denied bail while the two South African women he is charged with are out on bail, is now facing charges 32 counts, including racketeering, trafficking in persons, rape, and sexual assault.
The trial has experienced numerous delays since Omotoso’s arrest in April 2017.
The delays have resulted in some witnesses refusing to testify as they indicated they have since moved on with their lives and are not willing to relive their experiences in court.
The withdrawal of some witnesses has led to the reduction of the charges against Omotoso from 63 to 32.
Allegations are that Omotoso, who was addressed as “the man of God”, was the leader of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church and his co-accused were his assistants.
JDI had major branches in South Africa, Nigeria, and Israel, with Durban being its headquarters in the country.
The complainants were either congregants, employees or persons selected to take part in the activities of the church when they were recruited under the pretext that they would benefit spiritually or improve the quality of their lives.
Omotoso allegedly directly or indirectly through his co-accused, paid and arranged for the complainants to travel to his hotel, Durban, Israel, or Nigeria.
However, once the complainants arrived, Omotoso or his assistants would inform them of house rules which included that their cellphones be switched off or told not to contact male companions and were to further abide by his instructions.
The complainants and other female church members were allegedly kept in one room where they also slept.
Omotoso would allegedly select one of the complainants to go to his private bedroom where he raped or sexually assaulted them.
Eastern Cape NPA Spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the trial has been provisionally postponed to 13 November 2023.
