South African authorities say they will continue with legal proceedings against Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso who was acquitted of rape last month, even though he has left the country.
Mr Omotoso, who denied the 32 charges against him, was accused of sexually assaulting young women from his church in Port Elizabeth.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will still appeal against the judgement which found Mr Omotoso not guilty, saying his presence is not required.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said Mr Omotoso had flown to Nigeria from OR Tambo International Airport, where he was filmed by public broadcaster SABC wearing a hoodie and dark sunglasses.
Mr Omotoso was first arrested in 2017 as he attempted to leave South Africa.
Among his accusers was a woman who said she was raped by the pastor when she was aged 14.
In a statement, South African prosecutors accepted “there are no legal grounds to prevent” Mr Omotoso from leaving the country following his acquittal.
However, if the appeal were allowed, the authorities would apply for Mr Omotoso to be extradited back to South Africa, the statement added, highlighting South Africa’s “bilateral extradition treaty with Nigeria”.
After his acquittal in April, Mr Omotoso also faced immigration issues, with the Department of Home Affairs alleging earlier this month that he was in South Africa illegally.
On Sunday, the department issued a statement saying that Mr Omotoso had been classified as an “undesirable person”, meaning he will not be able to return to the country for five years.
South Africa’s public broadcaster reports that the pastor left the country voluntarily.
Mr Omotoso leads the Jesus Dominion International church which has branches in the UK, Nigeria, France and Israel as well as in many parts of South Africa, according to its website.
Mr Omotoso’s trial made South African history as the first high-profile rape case to be broadcast live.
