All eyes will be on Judge Mandela Makaula in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Friday where he is expected to furnish reasons for his decision to recuse himself from the human trafficking trial involving Nigerian Pastor Timothy Omotoso.
The matter will in all likelihood have to start afresh, meaning that a new judge would be appointed to the case and evidence previously led will have to be presented before the court again.
So far the court has heard evidence from state witness Cheryl Zondi, who gave an emotionally charged account of allegedly being raped and sexually groomed while she was a member and singer at Omotoso's Jesus Dominion International Church.
Defence attorney Peter Daubermann has been relentless in pushing for Makaula’s recusal citing reasons of him “being biased” and “protecting” Zondi.
It is understood, however, that Makaula's decision to recuse himself relates to his ownership of a guesthouse, through a company, where certain of the state witnesses in the trial had been accommodated.
-African News Agency (ANA)
