Omotoso back in Port Elizabeth High Court

Controversial Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused are expected to appear in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Monday.

This time, for arguments to be heard in an application for leave to appeal against Judge Irma Schoeman's decision to allow the trial to go ahead in the PE court.

Defence attorney Peter Daubermann told the court last week that he will bring arguments for the application after Schoeman dismissed his accusations that the PE court does not have the jurisdiction to hear all 97 charges against Omotoso, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

At the end of July the trial began afresh after the previous judge in the matter, Mandela Makaula, recused himself from the case prompting Eastern Cape judge president Selby Mbenenge to restart the trial with a new judge.

The three face charges ranging from rape to human trafficking and racketeering.

At the beginning of the trial they pleaded not guilty to seven charges for offenses alleged to have taken place in Port Elizabeth.

They did not enter pleas to the other charges, claiming the authorisation certificate to allow the case to be centralised and that the PE court had the authority to hear the full matter was invalid.