Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist acquitted of raping young women from his church, is set to depart South Africa on Sunday, according to local media, only days after prosecutors announced they would revisit the case.
Omotoso was found not guilty of 32 crimes, including rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking, after serving eight years in prison.
The ruling sparked outrage across South Africa because the judge claimed prosecutors bungled the case.
The 66-year-old pastor was scheduled to leave Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport for his native Nigeria, according to public broadcaster SABC and Newsroom Afrika television.
Images broadcast showed Omotoso at the airport in a grey sweatshirt and sunglasses, conversing with an immigration official.
It was not immediately apparent what time his flight would leave.
A transport ministry spokesman told AFP that Omotoso did not need their permission to exit the country.
This Monday, state prosecutors said that they would appeal his rape verdict and conduct an investigation of the team that handled the case.
“The NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) takes the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful appeal despite the complexities of the legal process,” it said.
Omotoso is the leader of the Jesus Dominion International Church, which is based in Durban, an eastern South African coastal city.
The South African government reports that the JDI has branches in Nigeria and Israel.
On May 10, Omotoso was rearrested on immigration charges, and the South African government said he would be deported.
This Wednesday, a magistrates’ court ordered his release, stating that he could not be imprisoned for more than 48 hours without facing charges.
