JOHANNESBURG - The Supreme Court of Appeal has granted the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) leave to appeal Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso’s acquittal.
Omotoso and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, were acquitted on 32 charges, including rape, sexual assault, human trafficking and racketeering.
The NPA’s previous application for leave to appeal was dismissed by the Gqeberha High Court in April last year.
Omotoso was first arrested in 2017 and charged with multiple offences following allegations made by several women linked to his church.
After his acquittal, the televangelist was re-arrested in May on immigration-related charges.
He was later released after a court found that the Department of Home Affairs had not followed the correct legal procedures when arresting him.
Later that month, Omotoso was deported from South Africa and declared an undesirable person, effectively banning him from returning for five years.