(Antigua Sun) – An aspiring politician and another man have appeared before the court on charges relating to a sexual offence.

The 32-year-old and the 20-year-old man were granted bail in the sum of $20,000 with one surety.

The court required that both men come up with a cash deposit of $2,000. Another political hopeful stood as surety for one of the men.

The political aspirant and his counterpart are charged respectively with rape and aiding and abetting. The indictable charges were not put to them at this stage. The matter will be tried in the High Court before a judge and jury.

Attorney Dexter Wason, who is representing both men, in his mitigation for bail said the duo is not known to the court previously. He said both men were family men and that they do not pose a flight risk.

As a condition of the bail, both men have to surrender their travel documents and report to the nearest police station in their district three days each week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 6 am and 6 pm.

They were both warned not to have any contact with the complainant “whatsoever.”

Allegations are the accused and the victim on 19 August, went to Shirley Heights during the afternoon hours.

It is alleged that the younger of the two men and the 32-year-old woman had consensual intercourse in a vehicle. Following that act, it is alleged that the 32-year-old man decided that he too wanted to share in some of the intimacy and reportedly began to have sex with the woman without her consent.

The victim later managed to get him to stop and she subsequently reported the matter to the police.

Investigations were conducted and the men were picked up and questioned and later released, without any charges being laid. They were recently arrested and charged following further inquiries.

Committal proceedings are set for 11 January, 2010.