Court To Rule On Request To Amend Omotoso Indictment

A critical ruling is expected in the criminal trial of pastor Timothy Omotoso and his co-accused.

The Port Elizabeth High Court will on Monday confirm whether the State will be allowed to amend its indictment which lists the charges against the self-proclaimed man of god and two women.

The Nigerian televangelist and two women face a string of charges including rape, human trafficking and racketeering.

Last week defence attorney Peter Daubermann asked the court to strike some evidence off the record.

The defence objected after the State’s first two witnesses gave evidence which went far beyond what was in the indictment provided.

The state conceded parts of the indictment must be amended after the testimony of its second witness Lerato Msibi.

She was one of two women who testified of how they were allegedly sexually abused by Omotoso while they were members of the televangelist’s church.

Daubermann accused the prosecution of conducting a trial by ambush as some of the information the witnesses divulged was not in the indictment or statements provided.

He asked the court to strike the evidence off the record and called on Judge Irma Schoeman to dismiss the State’s application for amendments to be made.

But the State countered by saying an amendment wouldn’t prejudice the accused who already pleaded not guilty and maintained the incidents did not happen.

EWN