Rape suspects granted bail

By BOURA GORUKILA
THE Waigani Committal Court on Friday granted bail to four men who were alleged to have raped a woman at 9-Mile in Port Moresby.
The accused are; Epe Agiru, 19, of Paim village, Tari, Hela, Tagira Timbabu, 18, of Kupari village in Tari, Hela, Yakawi Jonathan Timothy, 19 and Londo Yangis, 19.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii ordered Agiru and Timbabu to pay K800 bail each and their guarantors to pay K500 each on the grounds that they were unemployed and pose a high risk of escaping.
Timothy was allowed a K500 bail with the guarantor to pay K300.
Their co-accused Yangis was granted K500 bail earlier as his case was dealt with by another prosecutor.
According to police statement, the men were allegedly seen at 9-Mile along the road leading to McGregor Police Barracks on May 16.
The 27-year-old mother of two from Wewak, East Sepik had an argument with her husband and walked out of the house at about 1.40am.
She was crying and walking towards the McGregor Barracks when she heard someone called her name and saw four men.
The men allegedly asked her: “Olsem wanem long yu?” (What’s up with you?). She told them of the fight with her husband.
Her uncle, who is a security guard at the market, walked over to her and together they walked to the barracks.
On their way, one of the suspects allegedly approached them and told the uncle to leave but he refused.
Another suspect allegedly placed a kitchen knife on the uncle’s neck and forced him to leave her with them. The other three grabbed her and took her to the nearby bushes where they allegedly took turns raping her.
The suspects fled at the sound of a passing police vehicle.
They were quickly rounded up and taken to Boroko Police Station and arrested and charged with rape.
The matter returns to court for mention on July 7.