by Theckla Gunga – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The police officer, who was arrested on Tuesday for malicious damage to state property, was formally charged this morning for armed robbery.
Pedro Baiba was charged by the National Courts for stealing over three thousand and seven hundred kina cash, from a cigarette vendor, in Port Moresby last October
The National Court heard that on 27 October 2015, Baiba and his colleagues from the NCD Beat Patrol Unit confiscated cigarette from a vendor at Waigani.
The court heard that Baiba searched the bilum of the female victim and took over K3000.
The incident was reported to have occurred on the afternoon of October 27 at the Gordons Police Station.
On Tuesday, the committal court granted a K1000 bail for Baiba and another probationary constable, Gilford Avenamo on a sexually torching charge.
An incident reported to have occurred last month.
However, minutes after Baiba was granted bail, he was arrested for causing malicious damage to state property.
In court today, Magister Cosmos Bidar, rejected a bail application by Baiba’s lawyer stating that the application seeking bail was based on allegations that a firearm was involved in the robbery.
Magistrate Bidar refused the bail application because police investigations into whether a firearm was used in the incident are still continuing and the courts will make decision made only on evidence.
Baiba will remain in custody here at Bomana, until his case returns to court on 8 February 2016.
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