Why didn’t you leave the mission house? Daubermann asks first witness
Dike told the court she approached the church when she was unemployed with a drinking problem.
Timothy Omotoso, 60, and his co-accused Lusanda Sulani, 36, and Zukiswa Sitho, 28. Picture: Eugene Coetzee/The Herald
Timothy Omotoso’s defence Peter Daubermann has questioned the inconsistencies in the statement first witness Andisiwe Dike provided to the court stating Omotoso sexually harassed her.
Daubermann began proceedings by handing over the signed affidavit Dike signed with police on 16 March in 2017.
He asked Dike why she stayed at Omotoso’s Durban mission house where she claims Omotoso would call her for appointments, a word given by the women at the house as a description to the alleged sexual advances Omotoso made behind closed doors.
During her first week in testimony, Dike described how Omotoso simulated sexual acts while she was in the room with him. Daubermann earlier on Monday requested to speak to the police captain who took Dike’s statement, insisting there were inconsistencies in Dike’s initial statement. He said in her testimony she stated Omotoso simulated sexual acts, while her statement was unclear on the exact details of the sexual advances.
Dike on Monday told the court how she was recruited to the church at a time where she was unemployed and had financial difficulties. She told the court how it was her mother who introduced her to the Jesus Dominion church in East London in 2014 when her alleged drinking problem worsened while she battled to find employment.
She testified on how she was fearful of the pastor and did not want to upset him when she went away from the mission house. While she confessed to introducing her younger sister to the church and Omotoso, she detailed how she feared being cursed if she left the mission house or the church.
On her time away from the house, she would report her whereabouts but keep what happened at the house away from her mother.
The court had adjourned for a lunch break and will resume after 2pm.
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