A Ga-Nala (Kriel) councillor in Mpumalanga, accused of housebreaking, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempted rape of a minor will remain behind bars until his next court appearance at the end of August after he was denied bail.

The 39-year-old man was arrested on May 5 when, according to reports, the victim’s mother left for work and the girl (12) and her sister (26) stayed with their uncle, who is allegedly friends with the councillor.

“It is alleged that the councillor made inappropriate sexual comments towards the 12-year-old girl,” provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala says.

The two men then allegedly went to a nearby tavern where, according to police, the councillor left the tavern without telling his friend.

“At about 23:30, the elder sister heard somebody breaking into the house. She alleges that the person tried to open her bedroom door, which was locked. She immediately called a friend and asked him to alert the police.”

Mohlala says the man allegedly assaulted the teenage girl and tried to rape her. The elder sister recalled hearing her younger sister calling for her uncle to rescue her.

The report further states that the intruder responded by saying that the uncle was not in the house.

At that moment, the police fortunately arrived and the intruder reportedly escaped through a window, leaving behind his T-shirt as well as his cellphone.

Police went after the suspect and arrested him. According to police he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and brown shoes without a top when he was cornered.

“As the police went through the scene, they came across drops of blood in the house and at the window. The suspect’s car was also found about 50 metres away from the house,” Mohlala says.

Ga Nala residents staged a protest outside court during his court appearance. The councillors’ request to be released on bail was denied on July 10 and he will appear in court again on August 28.