Watson Duke committed on rape, sexual assault charges

POLITICAL leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Watson Duke has been committed to stand trial on a 2016 rape charge and charges of indecent assault. Duke was committed on Tuesday by Port of Spain magistrate Marissa Gomez.

Duke, who is also the member for Roxborough/Argyle at the Tobago House of Assembly, was granted $250,000 bail on the sexual offences charges and posted it right after the hearing, Newsday was told.

Duke was before Magistrate Marissa Gomez in relation to the charges that he allegedly committed acts of serious indecency against the woman on four occasions between January and April 2016, at the headquarters of the Public Service Association (PSA) in Port of Spain and having sexual intercourse with the woman against her will on May 10, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain.

The alleged victim, according to the charges, was an employee of the union.

Duke is the former PSA president.

Duke’s attorneys are Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson and John Heath.

When he first appeared in court in 2016, Duke told the media he was “innocent” and claimed he was “set up.”