A Nigerian pastor accused of rape is set to remain in prison custody until the conclusion of his trial in South Africa.
The pastor, Timothy Omotoso, saw another application for bail denied in a High Court in Port Elizabeth; South Africa on Wednesday, November 11.
Consequently, he is set to remain behind bars until the conclusion of his trial after several failed attempts to secure bail was rejected. Reports monitored by 1st News in South Africa state that the Nigerian pastor; a popular televangelist is charged with a number of crimes. They include rape and assault. Further, he stands accused of involvement in a human trafficking ring.
Specifically, he faces almost 100 charges.
The Nigerian pastor was first arrested in 2017. Since then, he has remained in prison custody. Also, he had seen a number of appeals to get the judge to grant him bail fall through.
The South African, an online medium in that country reports that on Tuesday; Omotoso’s lawyer, Peter Daubermann, argued that there were clear grounds to consider a leave to appeal the failed bail submission. Daubermann stated that Omotoso does not present the flight risk as was suggested when bail was denied last week.
“It’s not a borderline case, it’s an obvious case. The reasons why you should grant leave to appeal are obvious. As I have mentioned, my learned friend failed to address 80% of my argument and points raised before you. He therefore had no answer to those arguments which suggests that those arguments are valid.”
“I submit that your lordship should have no hesitation in granting leave to appeal. I submit that if you refuse to do so; you will simply be compounding the errors that you made in your initial judgement. The applicant is entitled to leave to appeal, and if you refuse this unreasonably, we would have to petition the Supreme Court of Appeal and this will delay the applicants hearing and finalisation of his attempt to secure bail.”
However, Judge Phillip Zilwa considers the Nigerian pastor a flight risk due to his status as an illegal immigrant along with his family.
Omotoso’s criminal trial is expected to commence this week. He stands accused along with two South Africans, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, who have been granted bail.
