Father accused of raping teenage daughter refused bail

By CHARLES MOI
A FATHER who allegedly raped his 13-year-old daughter last November has been refused bail by a court.
Magistrate Paul Nii, in the Waigani Committal Court, refused bail to the accused, aged 36, of Jiwaka, who allegedly raped his daughter in Port Moresby on Nov 19.
Police charged the accused with raping a child, abuse of trust, authority or dependency, persistent molesting of a child and incest.
Magistrate Nii said: “The application for bail does not favour the interest of justice given that it was an allegation involving the defendant’s own flesh and blood where the defendant among other allegations had abused his trust as a father and provider to his child who is the victim.”
Magistrate Nii noted that in February, an application for bail was filed by the accused, but Magistrate Tracy Ganaii refused the bail application on March 4 on the grounds that the accused could interfere with the State’s witness.
However, the accused submitted a new bail application because he claimed that circumstances had changed.
The accused stated that the complainant, who is his wife, was no longer living in Port Moresby and asked if he could be allowed bail as it would be impossible for him to interfere with the state’s witness.
The accused stated in an affidavit that the allegations were raised by his wife to cover up for an extramarital affair she had with her ex-boyfriend.
The police prosecutor opposed bail on the grounds that the accused could still interfere with the state’s witnesses, including the victim and her mother.
Magistrate Nii in his ruling said the accused was taking a “second bite of the cherry” by filing a second bail application in the same court which was an abuse of process.
He ordered the accused to remain in custody.
He adjourned the matter to Dec 16 for a ruling in the Committal Court.