Father of 7 charged with murder

A 45-YEAR-OLD father of seven was charged in the Lae Committal Court with attempted murder on Oct 31.
Magistrate Pious Tapil granted Benjamin Onguglo, from Kerowagi Gena village, Chimbu, K1,000 bail with two guarantors to pay K200 in surety each.
“The charge is serious but bail is granted on grounds that Onguglo is the sole breadwinner of his family, five of your children are in school and two infants,” he said.
Magistrate Tapil gave the police three months to complete its investigations and court file.
Onguglo is alleged to have on Oct 31, at West Taraka’s Kerowagi Market in Lae, while trying to help his drunken brother-in-law, confronted Peter Kaupa and slashed his head and hand with a bush knife.
Onguglo’s in-law then punched Kaupa and hit him with a stick.
The court heard that Kaupa was further beaten by other drunkards leading to him being taken to Angau Hospital that night where he was treated and stabilised.
The case was adjourned to Dec 15 for mention.
In the same court, Sandie Konie, 19, from Huon Gulf’s Siu village, Morobe, was charge with defamatory publication under the Cyber Crime Code Act 2016.