KEY POINTS
- Authorities arrested Timothy Omotoso in East London for violating South Africa’s Immigration Act.
- His arrest comes despite recent acquittal on rapery trafficking and racketeering charges among others.
- Omotoso is expected to appear in court on Monday and is currently being held at the Mdantsane Police Station.
South African authorities arrested Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, 66, early Saturday morning in East London, Eastern Cape, for allegedly breaching the country’s Immigration Act.
Omotoso arrested weeks after acquittal
South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner General Fanie Masemola confirmed that SAPS and the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate arrested Omotoso around 5 a.m., immediately after he left a church service.
He will face a charge that peels him off the crime of defiance over the Immigration Act, Masemola said.
Omotoso is at Mdantsane police station and is to appear in court on Monday.
Immigration charges follow high-profile trial for Timothy Omotoso
Omotoso’s arrest comes just weeks after the judiciary acquitted him of several serious charges, including rape, human trafficking, and sexual assault, following an eight-year legal battle during which authorities had laid those charges against him.
He and co-accused Sulani, 41, and Sitho, 33, had stood trial on 32 counts, including racketeering and sexual violence. Omotoso was the head of the JDI church (Jesus Dominion International) in which followers referred to him as the man of God, while Sulani and Sitho were among his helpers.
In addition, it has been a long legal and public chase that has led to this latest arrest based on allegations of immigration related offences.
