Rape-accused Timothy Omotoso denied bail again, family face deportation

Rape accused Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, who is currently standing trial for charges also including human trafficking, racketeering and assault, has been denied bail by the Port Elizabeth High court on Wednesday 4 November. 

This is the third time he has been declined the right to be released from custody since his arrest in 2017. 

Omotoso denied bail again  

Judge Phillip Zilwa said that exceptional evidence had not been provided by Omotoso’s legal team to convince him that he is not a flight risk, and said that further attempts to procure a bail agreement are frivolous.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani told eNCA that Omotoso’s bail application was vehemently dismissed. 

“There have been many delays, but today, the bail hearing for Timothy Omotoso was denied as he had not brought any new facts for his application. The judge said that the bail application must not be used as a tool to close gaps of the previous applications,” she said. 

Family considered ‘prohibited immigrants’  

She said that Omotoso and his family are considered prohibited immigrants and will therefore face deportation. 

“He is a prohibited immigrant, and as such his family are prohibited immigrants too. They will be deported and therefore he will have no family ties to South Africa once they are deported. It is not a guarantee that he will stand trial once they have been deported,” she said, adding that his children are citizens of the United Kingdom, and therefore if he is granted bail there is no guarantee that he will go back to his home country of Nigeria. 

“His church has got branches all over the world, therefore he can flee to any country and is a flight risk,” she said. 

Omotoso not vindicated of intimidation charges  

Ngcakani said that allegations that Omotoso had directed members of his church to intimidate witnesses had not been proven, but said that because intimidation has indeed taken place, the pastor’s bail application is placed in further question. 

“The Judge did mention that there is no evidence that he gave the direction for witnesses to be intimidated. However, witnesses have been intimidated – there was a family member who was shot – and it would therefore be an injustice to release him on bail because they feel intimidated and some have refused to come and testify in court as they fear for their lives,” she said. 

Omotoso’s council have indicated that they will draft an application for leave to appeal the bail dismissal, and this matter is likely to be heard in the coming week.