. . . matter serious, he’s a flight risk - cop
MBABANE - The investigator of the matter told the court that the pastor was clearly a pedophile, who must be kept in custody until his matter was finalised.
pedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children.
In her opposing papers, onstable umsile 0sibi contended that the teenage girls had no motive to lie about their father. She told the court that once released on bail, there was a likelihood that the accused would evade trial as the evidence against him was overwhelming. It was fur ther her contention that in the event the accused was released on bail, he would influence the complainants as they were scared of him.
7he accused was the one with a financial muscle, as he even as sumed the role of the complainants mothers by monitoring their men strual cycles.
Groceries
e would pay school fees, buy them groceries as well as sanitary pads. So it is easy to influence them not to testify against him, she argued. 7he court was also urged to take note of that the accused was also feared by the survivors mothers, as he was very strict and a disciplinarian. ccording to the investigating officer, the accused al legedly refused to grant the minors permission to visit their mothers.
learly, he was aware that the children may confide in their moth ers. 7he court is also reTuested to take note of that he is aware of where the children were taken to for safety purposes, and before his arrest he was in constant commu nication with their mothers, con tended 0sibi. She argued that the charges against the accused were serious and it was shocking that a father who was a pastor allegedly decided to sexually molest his own blood for many years.
I submit that he can easily for feit the bail money and cross to neighbouring countries using in formal crossings and be able to sustain himself as he is a man of many talents, from pastor, builder to truck driver. 7here are many ion churches in South frica, he can find refuge there as a pas tor, contended 0sibi. She urged the court to note that the accused allegedly raped his own children, took advantage of the fact that their mothers did not live with them at his homestead.
0sibi implored the court to keep the accused in Mail until he was dealt with in accordance with the law.
I aver that once released on bail, he will have access to the witness es, who are all scared of him. s a pastor, he can easily influence them into not giving evidence against him, as he is an influential man with a church in the community, she argued. She submitted that if the accused was to be released on bail, this would not only shock his community but the entire .ingdom of (swatini as his case was one of those appalling ones whereby he allegedly abused his own children sexually. orse, he is a man of the cloth who should live by example, by teaching the gospel to all and defending the vulnerable, submit ted the investigator. She concluded by pleading with the court to keep the accused in custody as releasing him would not be in the interest of Mustice.