A SICK witness has postponed the trial of Timothy Omotoso and his co-accused.
The 63-year-old televangelist and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani (41) and Zikiswa Sitho (33), face 63 charges, which include racketeering, trafficking in persons, rape and sexual assault.
While the state prosecutor Advocate Joel Cesal did not disclose the nature of the witness' illness in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday, 8 August, he indicated that the witness would be fit to testify on Thursday, 10 August.
Before that, the 10th state witness, Karen Hollely, COO at Child Witness Institute, went toe to toe with the accused's lawyer, Peter Daubermann, who was attempting to discredit a report compiled by Hollely, which detailed the complainants' conditions.
ALSO READ: Bester and Nandipha reunion: Lawyer not happy!
Hollely was appointed by the state to compile a report that identifies issues related to disclosure, consent, grooming and the impact of the crime.
During her testimony, she explained that it is possible for victims of sexual offences to come forward after a long time or to return to the perpetrator. Even when allegedly abused, they were made to feel that there was no life other than the one they were living.
The trial resumed on Monday, 7 August, after the defence failed to have the case dismissed. The Supreme Court of Appeal rejected the defence's application for a Special Entry, in which they alleged irregularities and illegalities in the proceedings.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman, Luxolo Tyali, said: "As the state, we are glad that the matter is now progressing. It's nearly six years since the accused was arrested, but no justice has been served yet. As a result of the defence's unsuccessful applications, the trial has been delayed numerous times. Our hope is that the matter will be resolved soon so the public can see that justice is served."
