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By Rolynda Jonathan
A police officer who violently assaulted his girlfriend last year has been reinstated into the force and assigned to the President’s security detail.
Officer Korhonen Kotaro was reinstated despite a petition against the reinstatement from several police officers and recommendations from the subcommittee on justice. It is unclear why Kotaro was reinstated and how he was assigned to the President’s detail while facing several charges of criminal offenses ranging from assault and battery to kidnapping.
In September 2012, Kotaro was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend several times including stabbing her with a knife. The reinstatement has raised questions and concerns in regards to the integrity and the role of the Bureau of Public Safety.
Kotaro appeared in court on January 25 for the first appearance hearing of the case before Associate Justice Materne. It is unclear if the Ministry of Justice will be looking into the matter further.