A police officer who was initially facing 13 sexual offence charges has seen the number of charges reduced to nine. The 40-year-old officer, who is married with three children, received the updated charges from the State. These offences are alleged to have been committed against his cousin when she was just 13 years old.
In court today, he pleaded not guilty to all nine counts as confirmed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. DPP attorney Monisha Naidu requested additional time to finalize the pretrial conference arrangements, while Joji Cakau represented the defence.
Both legal representatives are set to meet soon to complete the pre-trial process. The officer’s bail has been extended, and the next court date has been scheduled for November 5.