K500 bail eyed for wife beaters

By JAMES GUMUNO
A Mt Hagen magistrate has told police to impose bail of more than K500 on husbands who beat their wives.
District court magistrate Joseph Donald said this yesterday after George Kawage, who is charged with bashing his wife, was released on K300 police bail but didn’t turn up for court. He said the K300 police bail imposed was not enough.
Donald told police to impose bail of K500 to K1000 bail on men who attack their wives.
Yesterday he set an offender free after police failed to cite the law under which he was charged.
Donald freed Andy Tepi, from Minimb village in Hagen Central, because police failed to state the right section of the law. He said this was not the first time police had done that.
Donald said many cases were being struck out of court because police make mistakes when laying charges.
Police alleged that on Feb 2, Tepi stole a Huawei phone worth K700 from a woman.
He was arrested and charged for theft and released on a K200 bail.
However, police failed to cite the right section of the law under the amended Summary Offence Act, under which Tepi was charged.
Donald blasted the arresting officer for his incompetency and set Tepi free.
He ordered his bail money of K200 refunded and told the defendant to return the phone if he still had it in his possession.
Donald told Tepi that stealing was a crime and he must refrain from stealing other people’s property.
He also told police to properly charge offenders, under the right section of the law, which must be on the information paper when presented in court.