Omotoso bail appeal dismissed

[caption id="attachment_201431" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Tim Omotoso is frog-marched by members of the Tactical Response Team to the Hawks' Port Elizabeth headquarters to be charged with human trafficking after his arrest.
Picture: Ivor Markman[/caption]

Controversial Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso had his appeal for bail dismissed in the Port Elizabeth High Court earlier today.

In his judgement Judge Glen Goosen said Omotoso did not present exceptional circumstances to be granted bail and that it would not be in the interest of justice to release him from custody.

Omotoso was arrested on April 20, his first bail application was refused on June 9. A second attempt at bail failed on September were his defence team submitted a list of new facts.

In the second attempt at bail Magistrate Thandeka Mashiyi found the ‘new facts’ presented did not constitute new facts and denied Omotoso bail again.

There has been no appeal launched with respect to the second attempt at bail.

Omotoso has been charged with a litany of offenses including ten counts of human trafficking, two counts of rape and ten counts of sexual assault.

Goosen said he agreed with Mashiyi’s view that Omotoso posed a flight risk, that there was possibility of him interfering and intimidating witnesses and that he was regarded as an illegal immigrant.

“In this instance the appellant has not so persuaded me. I am accordingly not satisfied that the magistrate wrongly exercised her discretion and that the order of refusing bail was wrong,” said Goosen.

Omotoso’s next court appearance is on Tuesday alongside two women, Lusanda Solani, 36, of Durban and Zukiswa Sitho, 28, of Humewood who have been charged as accessories to the crimes.