Rape suspect to stand trial

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
THE Waigani Committal Court yesterday found enough ground to commit a man charged with sexual assault to stand trial in the National Court at the National Capital District.
Magistrate Rosie Johnson told Rodney Paul, 26 and of Kelua No. 2 in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, that he had a case to answer according to the information before her.
Johnson said there were numerous sexual encounters between him and the victim.
She told Paul that the only issue was whether the victim had consented to sex or not, clarifying that the court had no issue with the sexual encounters.
“The only dispute apparent is consent,” Johnson said.
When stressing on the issue of consent, Johnson said the accused told the court that the victim had consented but the victim said otherwise.
She told Paul that she had no jurisdiction to say whether one party was right and the other was wrong.
“The function of this court is to form an honest opinion and to establish whether there’s a prima facie case,” Johnson said.
Paul is on a K700 court bail and will appear at the Waigani National Court for listing on Oct 1.
Meanwhile, former Western Governor Dr Bob Tawa Danaya will appear on Friday in the Waigani Committal Court for a ruling on his remaining charges of false pretence, forgery and fraudulent uttering.
His other charge of conspiracy was struck out on Aug 8.