Transport affects court

POLICE prosecutor Constable Shellian Pius is concerned about people on remand not being brought to court because of the lack of transport.
“Most on remand at the Boroko Police Station cell cannot attend court hearing because of transport issues,” she said. Pius relayed the message to Waigani District Court magistrate Cosmas Bidar yesterday but could not say why there were no police vehicles available at the station.
Gilbert Thomas, 30, from Yagamusa in Marawaka, Eastern Highlands, was supposed to appear before Bidar on a charge of rape.
The victim was under the age of 12.
Thomas was absent from court and remained at the Boroko cell.
It was alleged that on Sept 25 at around 4pm, Thomas took the girl to Hohola Burns Peak where the incident happened. He allegedly gave her K5 and warned her not to tell her parents.
The girl’s mother noticed blood stains on her daughter’s clothes.
She lodged a report at the police station before taking her to the hospital.