South African Court Clears Nigerian Pastor Omotoso Of All Charges After 8years Of Legal Battle

After enduring eight years behind bars, Nigerian televangelist Pastor Timothy Omotoso has finally secured his freedom as a South African High Court dismissed all rape and human trafficking charges against him in a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through the religious community.

The spiritual leader of Jesus Dominion International church in Durban was dramatically arrested at a South African airport in April 2017 and subsequently charged with 32 counts alongside his co-defendants, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho. Prosecutors had alleged that Omotoso lured young women to his Umhlanga residence where he supposedly committed sexual assaults.

In delivering her verdict on Wednesday, trial judge Irma Schoeman delivered a scathing assessment of the prosecution’s case, ruling that the state had fundamentally failed to establish compelling evidence against the pastor.

The accused was not properly cross-examined regarding his denials of the complainants’ testimonies,” Justice Schoeman declared in her ruling. “No meaningful effort was made to highlight inconsistencies or improbabilities in his account. The cross-examination conducted was shallow and demonstrably lacked genuine intent to uncover the truth.

While expressing reservations about certain aspects of Omotoso’s testimony, the judge emphasized that the legal burden remained firmly on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt – a threshold she determined had not been met.

The case has been marred by extensive legal complications since Omotoso’s 2017 arrest, including numerous interlocutory applications and appeals, with some matters reaching as high as South Africa’s Constitutional Court. These procedural challenges contributed significantly to the prolonged detention of the Nigerian preacher.

In its official response, the National Prosecuting Authority acknowledged the extraordinary length of the proceedings, noting that witness fatigue became a significant factor as the years passed.

Several witnesses eventually expressed unwillingness to continue testifying and reliving their alleged experiences in court after years of delays, the NPA statement revealed. This reluctance contributed to a substantial reduction from the initial 63 charges originally brought against the accused.

Following his acquittal, South African immigration authorities have ordered Omotoso’s immediate deportation to Nigeria. Throughout his extended incarceration, the controversial religious leader, who also heads Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Days Broadcasting Network, steadfastly maintained his innocence.