Pastor Timothy Omotoso back in the dock
The new trial of Nigerian pastor, Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused has finally got underway in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
Omotoso, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho have pleaded not guilty to the more than 90 charges against them, which range from rape to sexual assault and human trafficking.
The State then called its first witness to the stand who waived her right to have her identity protected.
30-year-old Andisiwe Dike told the court how she joined Omotoso's church in May 2014 after her mother invited her.
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Dike, who was looking for a job in Cape Town at the time, decided to move to East London to join the church - and testified that she 'fell over' when Omotoso prayed for her.
The SABC brought an application to broadcast proceedings live, but Judge Irma Schoeman dismissed the application due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Some of Omotoso's alleged victims are said to have been recruited by his co-accused and kept at a mansion he rented in Umhlanga.
