Man jailed for fondling breasts

By JACINTA COHLEE
A MADANG man was sentenced to 12 months in prison by the Lae District Court yesterday for assaulting a woman by grabbing her body and touching her breasts.
Magistrate Samuel Lavutul convicted Daniel Oama, 30, of Keiveng village in Rai Coast, Madang, after he pleaded guilty.
Police alleged that Oama committed the offence on Thursday, at the Antsa market, Mutzing station in Markham, Morobe.
Oama, who was allegedly drunk at the time, is from the same village as the complainant’s husband.
He allegedly approached her from behind while she was talking with an in-law and grabbed her and held onto her, squeezing her body.
He allegedly also fondled her breasts and told her that he would marry her.
The complainant pushed Oama away and demanded to know why he had behaved that way.
The court also noted that the complainant felt offended as it happened in public and went straight to her husband and told him what the accused had done.
The matter was reported to police.

24-year-old in court over sex with minor

By GEORGINA KOREI
A 24-YEAR-OLD man is in court on charges of persistent sexual penetration for allegedly having continuous sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.
Magistrate Alex Kilandi, presiding at the Waigani Committal Court yesterday, read out the charges to John Guise Michael from Kimil village, South Waghi in Jiwaka and told him to return to court next Monday.
Kilandi told Michael that his charges were both serious and sensitive and ordered him to attend all hearing.
“You have to provide to the court your bail receipts with the court order as an approval for your bail,” he said.
Police prosecutor George Vetari had no objection to the date of adjournment as it would allow Michael time to provide his bail receipts and other necessary court documents.
Michael is alleged to have assaulted the victim on multiple occasions between July 2 and 6 at Kwikila in Rigo, Central.
Michael, who was employed with the ASL Security Ltd at the time was off duty and had gone to Kwikila to visit a relative who is a policeman at the station.
The 14-year-old victim from Buzi, South Fly in Western, is a grade eight student and her father is a policeman.
Police alleged that she was forced by Michael into his relative’s house where he had sex with her on three separate occasions – July 2, 5 and 6.
Michael admitted that he had had unprotected sex with the girl on three separate occasions while staying with his policeman relative.

Man gets time to talk to witnesses

A LAE District Court yesterday adjourned the case of a man charged with spreading false information and using threatening words to enable him to communicate with witnesses.
Paul Kasi, 52, of Ituap village in Markham, Morobe, pleaded not guilty to the offences and told the court that he had not been given help to communicate with witnesses for the trial.
Kasi asked the court for a one week extension and magistrate Isaac Tjipet granted his appeal despite an application by police prosecutor Maureen Pohei to start the trial.
Tjipet overruled the prosecution, stating that the accused had genuine reason and set Aug 15 as the final adjournment for the trial.
It was alleged that on July 7, at Siriwarang village in Markham, the accused allegedly spread false information saying that candidate Koni Iguan had been transporting and harbouring a sorcerer from Begezin in Madang in order to win the election.
The police hand-out brief in court stated that the accused also used threatening words against one of Iguan’s campaign officials by saying “where are you from? You from Begezin? Right now, leave this place and go before you get hurt”.
The court noted that the alleged spreading of false accusations against the candidate and his team was the main issue that triggered the incident that occurred on July 16 where all ballot boxes with papers were destroyed during counting at Mutzing station.