WATCH: Nigerian ‘sex pastor’ Timothy Omotoso’s ‘security detail’ thrown out of court

A woman believed to be part of the security detail of the Nigerian pastor accused of sex trafficking crimes was dragged out of the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.

The woman is alleged to have attempted to make her way into Court A where the pastor was appearing. She was spotted and removed by security.

In a video, police officers are instructed to remove the woman from the court’s premises.

She can be heard screaming “on what grounds must I be taken out?”

She is then forcefully removed by the officers, who picked her up and dropped her outside the court.

A woman was dragged out of the Highcourt in PE after misrepresenting herself as part of the Nigerian Pastor’s security detail. She tried to enter court A when the Hawks found out and removed her. She is a member of the Pastor’s congregation. #eNCA pic.twitter.com/va5nMPWBEv

— Sandy McCowen (@MccowenSandy) October 9, 2018

Two women are accused of being off-duty constables who misrepresented themselves as “protocol” observers. They are also alleged to have produced police appointment accreditation to gain access to the court.

The police have confirmed the two women who were removed from Court A during the Pastor’s Human trafficking case, are off duty constables. They misrepresented themselves as ‘protocol observers’. They produced SAPS appointment certificates to gain access to the court. #eNCA pic.twitter.com/oPj1L2XKGY

— Sandy McCowen (@MccowenSandy) October 9, 2018

Timothy Omotoso’s trial for human trafficking began on Monday and continues on Tuesday at the Port Elizabeth High Court.

He appeared in Court A facing charges for racketeering, human trafficking, contravening the Sexual Offences Act and conspiracy to aid and abet sexual assault.

The pastor appeared flamboyantly dressed in a green suit to a courtroom filled with his supporters.

He refused to plead to the charges of sexual assault and racketeering. Judge Mandela Makaula entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

Omotoso and his co-accused face 63 charges and 34 alternative charges.

He is believed to have trafficked more than 30 girls and women from various branches of his church to a house in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where he allegedly sexually exploited them.

Alleged accomplices Lusanda Solani, 36, of Durban, and Zukiswa Sitho, 28, of Port Elizabeth, allegedly recruited girls from all over the country and monitored their movements in the houses where they were being kept.

He was arrested by the Hawks on April 20 last year.

(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.