Cops referred to higher court

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
TWO police officers have been referred to a higher court to answer charges of robbery, sexual touching and unlawfully detaining a woman in a police vehicle.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar ruled that there was sufficient evidence against Ronny Wamel and Kavora Lahoto to be tried in the National Court.
Bidar said on Sept 26 last year, the two officers in the company of others, allegedly picked up a woman at the Armani club and drove to the Gordon police station.
The court heard that they forced her to undress up to her bra and underwear.  It is alleged that the officers then touched her breasts and private parts. Her mobile phones were also taken from her.
Bidar said on the same night, a family on its way to the airport to catch a flight to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville were chased by police and held at gun-point at 3.23am near the Boroko Foodworld roundabout. A substantial amount of money and mobile phones were taken from them.
Bidar said Wamel and Lahoto were charged with two other police officers for the incidents.
He said according to evidence by a witness, the officers were under the influence of alcohol at the time while on official duty.