Court revokes woman’s bail

By BOURA GORUKILA
A MAGISTRATE has revoked bail for a 29-year-old-woman accused of being involved in robbing Rainbow Stop & Shop, Port Moresby in April.
Police prosecutor Sgt Joseph Sangam asked the court to revoke the bail because neither the police nor the district court had powers to grant bail in armed robbery cases.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii confirmed that by law police or the district court did not have the power to grant bail.
“Police had granted you a K1,500 bail and that is wrong and illegal,” she said.
“(The) Bail Act states that in armed robbery, murder and major offences against the state, only the National Court is allowed to grant bail.
“You have to find a lawyer to file a proper bail application before a judge at the National Court.”
Mary Vagi of Oreke village in Kairuku, Central, was alleged to have been with Martin Kageni, Kawage Gene and three others who robbed and stole from Rainbow Stop & Shop cash totalling K13,625 on April 19.
Vagi, a security guard with Pacific Corporate Security, was alleged to be the one manning the front door of the cash office at the shop.
It was alleged that criminals, all dressed in CPL uniforms, held up Pacific Corporate Security guards at the back gate and proceeded into the cashier’s office.
They then held up staff, including a security guard (who was alleged to be Vagi) and stole the money and two mobile phones before escaping.
Kageni surrendered to police on May 8 and gave evidence about the robbery.
Another suspect, Benjo Wari, was arrested at around 4.10pm on May 21 at the traffic lights opposite Tisa Haus upon an intelligence report.
He claimed that Vagi had given him the information and then led police to Gerehu’s Bulldog Street at around 7.20pm where Gene was apprehended.