Court orders police officers’ dismissal

The National Court has ordered for the dismissal of two police officers from the Royal PNG Constabulary after they were found guilty of forcing a woman they had taken into custody to chew and swallow condoms.

This was at the Boroko Police Station back in 2015 where they recorded the incident on a mobile which was later posted on social media.

Probationary officers Joshua Yawijah from Southern Highlands and Enga woman, Jacklyn Tanda, were both sentenced to one year, six months in jail.

However, they will only serve three months at the Bomana Correctional Institute, as one year, three months of that sentence was suspended.

Since they would be dismissed from the force, the court decided a lesser sentence should be appropriate, considering the welfare of their children.

Both Yawijah and Tanda were also ordered to pay K2,000 each to the victim. Failure would result in them serving the full sentence.

They were convicted and sentenced for one count of unlawful deprivation of personal liberty, two counts of forcing a person to do indecent acts and one count of abuse of office.

Author: 
Sally Pokiton