A High Court in the Eastern Cape division of South Africa has acquitted Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, who was accused of raping young women in his church.
Omotoso and two co-defendants, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, faced a total of 32 charges related to rape and human trafficking.
Numerous young women alleged that the pastor lured them to his home in Umhlanga, South Africa, where he purportedly molested them.
In April 2017, the Nigerian pastor was arrested shortly after arriving at an airport in South Africa.
He is the senior pastor of Jesus Dominion International, based in Durban, and is also the founder of Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Day Broadcasting Network.
According to News24, Judge Irma Schoeman ruled on Wednesday that the state prosecutor did not meet the burden of proof required to establish the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Schoeman stated that the prosecutor failed to effectively cross-examine the accused, remarking, “It was as if cross-examination never even took place.”
While the judge expressed her disbelief in the accused’s evidence, she emphasized that the responsibility to demonstrate their guilt lay with the prosecutor.
“He (Omotoso) was not cross-examined regarding his denials in relation to the testimonies of the complainants. No attempts were made to uncover inconsistencies or improbabilities. The cross-examination was superficial and lacked the intent to reveal the truth,” the judge noted.
In response to the ruling, South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority issued a statement indicating that the prosecuting team would review the verdict and consider which legal options to pursue.
“Since the arrest of the three in April 2017, their trial has faced numerous delays, including interlocutory applications from the accused, even challenging the Constitutional Court,” the statement explained.
“The most recent applications involved five requests for a mistrial and a motion submitted on 16 January 2024, in which the defence sought to have the judge reconsider her earlier decision on the application for discharge under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, a request that was successfully contested by the state.
“The protracted timeline has led some witnesses to withdraw from giving evidence, as they have since moved on with their lives and do not wish to relive their experiences in court. This has resulted in a reduction of charges from 63.”
News24 reported that Omotoso will be deported to Nigeria immediately following the judgement.
The Nigerian pastor had been incarcerated in South Africa since his arrest in 2017.
Eighteen-Eleven Media