Court rejects Omotoso’s latest bid to have evidence deemed inadmissible

Rape-accused televangelist Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused’s latest attempt to have evidence deemed inadmissible has failed. They had argued that the evidence was obtained unconstitutionally.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement on Wednesday that the state successfully opposed Omotoso, 63, and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani, 41, and Zikiswa Sitho’s, 33, latest attempt, allowing the evidence to be considered in their trial.

Evidence will be considered in Omotoso trial

The High Court in Gqeberha’s decision comes after five special entries for a mistrial were previously requested, including one on 16 January 2024, where the defence asked the judge to re-evaluate her ruling on the application for discharge.

“Judge Irma Schoeman had previously dismissed their application for discharge, and the state was ready to proceed with the remaining proceedings in the trial, meaning that the accused must present their case, and they will be subject to cross-examination by the state,” NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.

The three accused face 32 charges, which include racketeering, trafficking in persons for sexual purposes, rape, and sexual assault.

Since the Nigerian televangelist’s arrest in April 2017, the trial has experienced numerous delays. The NPA said these delays have caused some witnesses to change their minds about giving evidence as they have moved on and are not interested in reliving their experiences in court.

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Charges reduced to 32 as witnesses leave trial

As a result, the charges have been reduced to 32 from 63.

Omotoso, who was addressed as “the man of God”, was the leader of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, and his South African co-accused were his assistants.

JDI had major branches in South Africa, Nigeria, and Israel, with Durban being its headquarters in South Africa.

The complainants in the case were either congregants, employees, or people 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 is accused of paying for and arranging for the complainants’ trip to his hotels in Durban, Israel, or Nigeria, either directly or indirectly through his co-accused. But when the complainants got there, Omotoso or his assistants would allegedly tell them about the house regulations, like turning off their phones or telling them not to talk to their male friends, and they would also have to follow his directions.

State committed to finalising case

“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,” Tyali said.

The NPA said the state remains committed to finalising this case as soon as possible so that justice is served for the victims.

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