Sacked rugby league star Keven Appo has reportedly fled the country after being charged with multiple sexual assault charges.
Bradford Bulls released a statement on Friday 3rd January that they were releasing the 25-year-old forward in light of a statement made by West Yorkshire Police.
That statement confirmed that the former Papua New Guinea international, who starred twice for the Kumuls at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, had been charged with rape, sexual assault on a female and two counts of assault.
The statement also confirmed that he had been bailed and was due to appear at Bradford Magistrates Court on Monday 6th January.
BBC News have now reported that Appo did not attend court today and actually fled the UK back in November when first granted conditional bail.
The 25-year-old was given conditional bail on 26th November last year at 4 pm but had boarded a flight to Dubai by 8:40 pm that evening, leaving via Manchester airport.
He would then arrive in his native Papua New Guinea via a connecting flight from Dubai.
The BBC report that prosecutor Fiona Newcombe told Bradford Magistrates Court that “an extradition process was now underway to return Mr Appo to the United Kingdom to face the charges against him”.
Authorities will now work with those in PNG to try and extradite the forward.
