Man asks court to remove harm, rape charges

By GIDEON KINDIWA
A MAN who was charged with causing grievous bodily harm and rape asked the court to strike out his case because he was not called in for police interview to answer the charges.
Robert Agen, 46, from Aregol village in Sinasina, Chimbu was previously charged with one count of unlawful assault of a woman.
The charge was later upgraded to two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of rape.
Agen, who was a candidate for the National Capital District provincial seat in 2017, defended himself saying he was not interviewed regarding the new charges which was a breach of his constitutional rights.
“Police interviewed me on the previous charge, but I was given no opportunity to answer for the upgraded charges,” he said.
“My democratic and constitutional rights have been abused. Police have abused the process under Section 42 of the Constitution,” he said.
He said the doctors who filed the medical reports failed to attach their affidavits which was a breach of the Evidence Act.
Agen disputed the two counts of grievous bodily harm saying the “evidence falls short to show that there was any permanent body injury”.
Police prosecutor Constable Shellian Pius said the police had enough evidence to pursue the case.