Nigerian pastor Tim Omotoso who was arrested for sexually molesting his own church members in South Africa -says he can’t sleep in his cell.. The Port Elizabeth Magistrates Court postponed proceedings last week to allow his travel documents to be checked.
According to reports, Omotoso’s defence – led by Advocate Alfonso Hattingh – read out his affidavit in court on Friday, in which he complained about conditions at St Albans Prison, where he is being held
The pastor said his constitutional rights had been violated since the day of his arrest at Port Elizabeth Airport, where people gathered to take videos and pictures of his arrest. He said he was having suicidal thoughts as the events that have so far unfolded have affected his physical and mental state.
He said he has been struggling to sleep in his cell.
Home Affairs immigration officer Ivan Claasen told the court they were suspicious about Omotoso’s two passports.
“I found it strange that his visa is in his old passport, which will expire in August, and not the new one which he allegedly used for travel.” “It’s suspicious that he left South Africa and returned when the new passport he used did not contain a work permit.
“Home Affairs need to verify that both passports plus the visa are authentic and to investigate how he travelled using the new passport when it does not have his visa.”
Magistrate Thandeka Mashiyi ordered the defence to hand over the passports, as well as the work permit, to Claasen so he could verify their authenticity and whether Omotoso had been deported from the UK due to fraudulent papers.
She postponed the bail application to Friday for Home Affairs to perform its investigation.