The trial of controversial Nigerian Pastor, Timothy Omotoso, resumes in the High Court in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
Omotoso, 60, and his co-accused, Lusanda Sulani‚ 36‚ and Zukiswa Sitho‚ 28, face a litany of charges ranging from human trafficking to sexual assault and rape.
In the Port Elizabeth High Court in October, Judge Mandela Makaula dismissed two applications for leave to appeal against his decisions not to recuse himself and to quash the charges against Omotoso.
Omotoso’s attorney Peter Daubermann brought the application at the beginning of the trial on the basis that the charge sheet lacked the information and detail needed to build a proper defence but Makaula dismissed the application and ordered the state to furnish further particulars to the defence‚ which was done.
Makaula said claims by the defence that he was being biased and sided with state witness Cheryl Zondi when he offered her time to adjourn or checked to see if she was okay to continue her testimony were taken out of context.
After the dismissal Daubermann requested the court to postpone the matter to allow his clients to petition the SCA.
Last week Zondi, started a foundation to help those who have been sexually abused in sacred spaces.
Editor's Note: The trial has been postponed to February 4 2019.
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