GQEBERHA- After eight(8) years behind bars bars on more than 60 charges ranging from rape, sexual assault and human trafficking, Nigerian televangelist Pastor Timothy Omotoso is a free man.
Eight years in and out in Gqeberha high court Omotoso to walk free, after high court find him not guilty on Wednesday, 02 April 2025.
The National Prosecuting Authority(NPA) Eastern Cape Division has noted the judgment of the High Court in Gqeberha, which found televangelist Timothy Omotoso(63) and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani (41) and Zikiswa Sitho(33), not guilty on the 32 charges the state indicted them on.
Delivering the judgment in high court on 2nd April 2025, Judge Irma Schoeman found that the trio was not guilty due to technicalities, mainly that the former prosecutors in the case acted improperly and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state. It is for that reason that provincial prosecuting team will study the judgment and decide which legal avenues to explore.
Since the arrest of the trio in April 2017, their trial has been protracted with numerous obstacles, including interlocutory applications by the accused that even included Constitutional Court challenges.
In a statement issued by Provincial NPA emphasized that, delays caused some witnesses to no longer want to proceed with giving evidence as they indicated they have since moved on with their lives and are not interested in reliving their experiences in court. “That has led to the reduction of the charges from 63,” NPA.
Provincial NPA regional Spokesperson Luxolo Tyali added, “As much as the NPA does not seek to secure conviction at all costs, it remains committed to ensuring justice is served for the victims of crime and will go to all lengths to give a voice to the victims by exploring all the possible avenues.”
Photograph: Televangelist Timothy Omotoso and co-accused in Gqeberha High Court
Photograph: supplied
