Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho are nearing the end of their long, drawn out case.
The case, which has been dragging on for almost eight years, was put on hold until April 2, 2025, for judgment.
On Wednesday, the trio appeared before the Gqeberha High Court. Both the state and defence presented their heads of arguments.
Significant turning point in the case
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the ruling will represent a significant turning point in the case, which has been plagued by delays.
Judge Irma Schoeman had previously dismissed the defence’s application for discharge. And the state was ready to proceed with the remaining proceedings in the trial. This meant that the accused must present their case and they will be subject to cross-examination by the state.
Omotoso was arrested in April 2017.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the numerous delays in the trial since Omotoso’s arrest has caused some witnesses to no longer want to proceed with giving evidence. They indicated that they have since moved on with their lives and are not interested in reliving their experiences in court.
Delay caused some witnesses to abandon case
“That has led to the reduction of the charges from 63. Omotoso, who was denied bail while the two South African women he is charged with are out on bail, is now facing charges of 32 counts, including racketeering, trafficking in persons, rape, and sexual assault,” said Tyali.
Omotoso, leader of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, was allegedly assisted by his co-accused. These were his assistants who assisted him in sexually grooming young women.
Omotoso allegedly directly or indirectly, through his co-accused, paid and arranged for the the young women to travel to his hotel in Durban, Israel, or Nigeria.
Some of the young women who were allegedly victims to the “man of God” were congregants. And some were employees or persons selected to take part in the activities of the church when recruited.
Used assistants to groom, sexually abuse young girls
“Once the complainants arrived, Omotoso or his assistants would inform them of the house rules. These included that their cell phones be switched off. Or they were 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. That was where he raped or sexually assaulted them,” said Tyali.
Tyali further stated that the state remains committed to ensuring that this case is finalised as soon as possible. This so that justice is served for the victims. He believes that the NPA has presented enough evidence to for the accused to be found guilty.
