Ex-NFP Man on Alleged Rape Charge Granted Bail

Aformer National Federation Party provisional candidate who was charged for alleged rape of his sister-in-law was granted bail by the High Court in Suva. The accused appeared before Judge Justice Daniel Goundar yesterday.

State prosecutor Swastika Sharma did not object to bail and sought seven days to file information.

She reserved the disclosures to the court and revealed that the 53-year-old victim is the wife of the accused’s deceased cousin brother.

The disclosures, which contained the victim’s statement revealed that the accused had met the victim in Nadi.

He told her that he would visit her someday.

The accused showed up at the complainant’s residence on June 28 and told her that he was in Suva to attend a wedding. Ms Sharma further read the disclosures, which stated that the accused had returned from the wedding and asked to spend the night over at the complainant’s house because he was tired. That same night the accused allegedly raped the complainant.

She further told the court that the complainant had locked the accused in the bathroom and called the Police for assistance. Ms Sharma also told the court that the complainant had received a number of bruises on her body and she was medically examined.

In another matter, the accused had alleged that he was subjected to Police brutality.

Ms Sharma told the court that the x-ray report on the alleged Police brutality issue was yet to be received by the state.

She told the court that the x-ray was conducted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma told the court that they would wait till they receive a copy of the reports from the state on the alleged Police brutality issue.

He also told the court that they had filed a formal bail application as the accused had been in custody since June 29, the day of the arrest.

The accused was granted a cash bail bond of $10,000 and assurance of two sureties.

He was ordered to surrender his passport to the court and a stop departure was also issued for the accused, who was told not to obtain any traveling documents.

Justice Goundar told the accused that the charge was an indictable offence.

He told the accused not to interfere with the complainant or any of the prosecution witnesses in any way whether through friends or family members. Mr Sharma assured the court that the accused will not interfere with any of the witnesses or complainant.

The accused was told to reside in Nadi and report to the Nadi Police Station every Friday between 6am and 6pm.

The matter was adjourned for plea on September 11.

The court heard that the complainant had received a number of bruises on her body and she was medically examined.