Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday remanded to prison a 35-year-old man, who allegedly had carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16.
Kurt Kunjie Singh was not required to plead to the charge of carnal knowledge of a female below the age of 16, when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on July 8 in Georgetown, Singh had carnal knowledge of the 15-year-old female.
Attorney-at-Law Gary Ramlochan who represented Singh, made a submission for reasonable bail.
The prosecution objected, arguing to the court that if Singh was granted bail there was a likelihood that he would tamper with the virtual complainant (VC). Singh, the prosecution alleged, had been following the girl since she was 12 years old.
According to the prosecution, on the day in question, the girl and the accused were travelling in the same bus, when he allegedly took her cellular phone and told her to follow him if she wanted it back. The child, afraid of how her parents would react if she went home without her phone, the prosecution explained, followed the man into a yard where the alleged incident occurred.
Ramlochan informed the court that the police searched his client’s house on Wednesday in the presence of his wife who is five months pregnant. The lawyer said that the police were searching for the girl who they said did not sleep at her house on Tuesday night. The girl, Ramlochan said was later found at the Stabroek Market area. He further informed the court that his client, if granted bail, would not interfere with the VC.
However, in reply, the prosecutors told the court that they were not aware of the circumstances concerning where the girl slept that night. Further, they enforced their objection to bail stressing that
Singh has been following the child for three years and that she was a minor and would have to endure the effects of the attack for the rest of her life.
Singh was refused bail and the matter will continue on July 18 in Court Five.
