Woman finally in court after 5 years

By GIDEON KINDIWA
A WOMEN appeared in court after she allegedly went into hiding for more than five years after signing an oath to repay the cost of a vehicle stolen by her husband.
She either escaped or did not fulfil her promises on three occasions to compensate the owner of the vehicle, according to police.
Maureen Wani, 32, from Panda village in Dei, Western Highlands, allegedly signed a statutory declaration on Nov 26, 2013, to repay K10,000 to the owner of a Toyota Vista Sedan which was stolen in Port Moresby by her husband David Mane.
Mane was released from custody at the Gerehu police station on her declaration but she did not pay the amount. Instead, she allegedly took her husband and ran away to Mt Hagen, according to police.
They were on the run for almost three years and in 2015, Wani was arrested at Minj in Jiwaka with the help of Mt Hagen police. Her husband’s relatives followed up and asked for her release and promised to pay the K10,000 with added costs and she was released. However, they did not pay the amount and she allegedly escaped back to Port Moresby.
In 2018, she was arrested and taken to Gerehu police station where she allegedly arranged for mediation and promised to pay the amount plus costs involved as she said she was expecting a lump sum payment soon, but did not provide an exact date for the payment.
The complainant, Steven Konga, who was the owner of the vehicle, laid a formal complaint and Wani was arrested and charged on Nov 7 last year for attempting to pervert the cause of justice.
According to the police report, the accused is related to the complainant. They allegedly hired the vehicle for four hours to seek medical attention after birth complications. After using the vehicle, Mane drove off and did not return the vehicle.