THE rape trial against Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused continues at the Port Elizabeth High Court in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
Omotoso, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho will have to stand trial on more than 30 charges.
This was after the application for a mistrial was denied by Judge Irma Schoeman on Tuesday, 31 October. Instead, Schoeman dismissed 31 of the more than 60 charges faced by the trio.
The trial has experienced numerous delays since it started in 2018, with some witnesses no longer wanting to give evidence as they indicated they have since moved on with their lives and were not interested in reliving their experiences in court.
That has led to the reduction of the charges from 63.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Luxolo Tyali explained that Omotoso, who was denied bail, and two women he is charged with who are out on bail, are now facing charges 32 counts, including racketeering, trafficking in persons, rape, and sexual assault.
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"It's alleged 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," Tyali said.
"The complainants were either congregants, employees or persons selected to participate in the church activities 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 abide further 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, said Tyali.
On Wednesday, 29 November, the defence is expected to start their case, after the case was postponed for the defence case on Monday, 13 November.
