Bail denied over alleged assault of three girls

A COURT has refused the bail application by a man facing charges of abduction, deprivation of liberty and sexual penetration involving three girls aged under 16 years.
In the National Court in Waigani, Port Moresby, Judge Teresa Berrigan refused Sam Keteng bail based on the seriousness of the charges, the “insufficient” medical report he produced on his condition, and the possibility of him committing a similar crime if granted bail.
Keteng, 37, is from Madang and Enga.
The girls are aged between 9 and 14.
The alleged incidents happened between September 14 and October 25.
Keteng’s lawyer submitted that Section 42 (6) of the national Constitution and Section 6 of the Bail Act entitled anyone to bail at any time if the offence did not involve treason or wilful murder.
The lawyer also submitted that the cells were overcrowded and unhygienic, that Keteng had asthma and his condition was getting worse since a “blanket ban” was imposed on detainees at Bomana from receiving medical treatment at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
He also submitted that Keteng was married with two children and had just started his private law firm.
But Justice Berrigan rejected the application based on Section 9 (b) of the Bail Act which did not allow one to be granted bail if one had committed an offence previously while on bail, and if the offence was serious.
She said Keteng’s medical report did not show credible information of his deteriorating medical condition and was “not produced by a registered doctor”.