A MAN who has four wives and 39 children has pleaded for leniency after the court found him guilty of having sex with one of his daughters.
A 48-year-old man from the Central province was found guilty of committing incest with his own daughter before the National Court in Waigani last week.
Au Numa Rokai Pene, 48, of Maopa village, Abau, Central province, has two children from his daughter after having sexual relations with her between 2000 and 2005. He was charged with incest.
The court heard that Pene had 4 wives, 39 children and many grandchildren.
However, at the time of his arrest, three of his wives had left him.
Between 2000 and 2005, the accused committed the act of incest with his daughter in various places in Port Moresby and she became pregnant, giving birth to a son in November 2003.
According to court documents, he still continued to have sexual relations with her after that and even looked for her when she ran away. She became pregnant a second time and had a daughter in 2005.
The girl’s mother reported the matter to police in 2005 and Pene was arrested and charged with incest under Section 223 (2) of the Criminal Code (Sexual offences and crimes against children act, 2002).
The court was told that Pene was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church and a member of the Central provincial government executive council.
He is also the serving president of the Aroma local level government council and a well- respected leader in his community.
The court was urged to consider the fact that Pene is old and has a big family which he would have to leave behind to fend for themselves if he was jailed.
Justice Panuel Mogish is presiding over the case and will hear more submissions this week.