Timothy Omotoso trial to resume at 2pm

Rape-accused Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso alongside co-accused Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho are back in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Monday to face a plethora of charges which include human trafficking and rape.

The trio’s trial, which has been scheduled to start at 2pm on Monday, has kicked off to a bumpy start since former Judge Mandela Makaula opted to recuse himself from the trial due to allegations of a conflict of interest.

Judge Irma Schoeman took over the trial but has since been faced with challenges from the Omotoso camp, who questioned the court’s jurisdiction over certain charges.

In July, Schoeman dismissed an application lodged by Omotoso and his co-accused which requested leave to appeal in order to allow another court to determine if the Port Elizabeth High Court had the jurisdiction to preside over all charges.

The three accused argue that some of the alleged offences happened outside Port Elizabeth, which include sexual abuse and human trafficking.

A handful of Omotoso supporters have arrived outside the court. Omotoso’s wife, Taiwo, has also been seen walking to the courtroom.

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