The fourth prosecution witness in the rape trial of the Leader of Jezreel Lion of Judah, Jone Cokanauto today told the court how Cokanauto indecently assaulted her while praying for her in a house in Nadera in February 2006.
The woman told the Suva High Court that she joined the group after she attended their prayer meeting in 2005 at her friend’s house in Tamavua.
She said from the beginning of the prayer meeting till the preaching of the word of God she felt the power of God upon her and she said that she does not know how to explain in words but it was something that she had not felt before.
She also said that she had also gone to the group’s main base in Taveuni.
The witness told the court that in February 2006, she and her friends went to Nadera and the reason was because she wanted to be prayed over by Jone Cokanauto.
She told the court that at the house they sat down in the sitting room and Cokanauto was encouraging them about their school work and their spiritual life and she was not prayed over in the sitting room.
The prosecution then asked her where did the praying take place.
The witness told the court that they had to go one by one to the room that Cokanauto was using in the house to be prayed for and that she was the second one to go in the room.
She said that she told Cokanauto about something that had happened between her and a man in Taveuni for which she was feeling guilty and that Cokanauto consoled her adding that while sharing this to him, she felt the guilt.
She said Cokanauto then hugged her and prayed for her.
The woman said Cokanauto then told her to take off her clothes and the reason for this was to pray for her private parts and commit it to God.
When asked what was the need to commit it to God, she said that he told her that she needed to be redeemed.
She said that redemption is also part of Cokanauto’s teaching and she believed that she needed to be redeemed through his spiritual teaching and she had agreed to take off her clothes as at that time she believed she had to go through the process.
She said that he then indecently assaulted her while praying and lying on top of her.
The prosecution witness told the court that at that time she was being redeemed and that she had to go through the process.
She said that she did not resist or shout because she felt it needed to be done for her to regain her purity.
Meanwhile presiding judge, Justice Salesi Temo ruled against the defence application earlier today after they had asked that the fourth prosecution witness be excused from giving evidence.
The defence counsel used a judgment in a rape trial in the Labasa High Court where the alleged victim of a rape said in court that she did not wish to give evidence as she had forgiven the accused, forgotten about the incident and she was happily married with children.
In that case, the woman was released by the judge from giving evidence without any sanction and the accused was acquitted of all charges.
The prosecution counsel then told Justice Salesi Temo that the case the defence is referring to is under appeal by the DPPs Office.
The prosecution says that the fourth witness has not given valid reasons to be excused.
Justice Temo says the trial must go on and the fourth state witness has to give evidence in the Cokanauto trial.
He says the accused’s right to fair trial will be exercised when the defence will challenge the witness evidence via cross examination.
Cokanauto has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.
It is alleged that he committed the offences in Nasinu and Taveuni between 2005 and 2012.
The case has been adjourned to 9am Monday.
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