#OmotosoTrial: SCA dismisses bid for judge recusal
|Published
The Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid to have Judge Mandela Makaula recuse himself in the trial of Timothy Omotoso. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha/AfricanNewAgency/ANA The Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid to have Judge Mandela Makaula recuse himself in the trial of Timothy Omotoso. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha/AfricanNewAgency/ANA
Port Elizabeth - The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed a bid to have Judge Mandela Makaula recuse himself in the trial of Timothy Omotoso.
In addition, defence lawyer Peter Daubermann's petitioning of the SCA to have human trafficking and rape charges against Omotoso dropped also failed, as did his attempt to have charges against co-accused Zukiswa Sitho and Lusando Sulani quashed.
The SCA had stated this week that there was no prospect of success in both applications.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesman, Tsepo Ndwalaza, said the NPA felt vindicated and the trial would be back on track as planned.
The trial is expected to resume on February 4.
The Nigerian pastor faces 63 main charges and 34 alternative counts which include human trafficking, rape, sexual assault, racketeering and conspiracy in aiding another person to commit sexual assault.
His two alleged henchwomen, Sulani and Sitho are accused of recruiting girls from all over the country for purposes of sexual exploitation.
The 58-year-old televangelist allegedly trafficked more than 30 girls and women who were from various branches of his Jesus Dominion International Church to a house in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where he allegedly sexually exploited them.