Joshua Yawijah

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.

The case against Southern Highlands man Joshua Yawijah and Wabag woman Jacklyn Tanda was adjourned to this week after they were found guilty last week.

The two probationary officers were found guilty of 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.

A primary evidence in the case was the video of the event on 4 December 2015, at the Boroko Police station, when both officers were on duty.

The incident from 4 December 2015 sparked overwhelming public support against abuse while in police custody.

The case was initially listed to go for trial in October last year however, was deferred to a later date.

Today, Pangia man Joshua Yawijah appeared before Justice Panuel Mogish who put the case on the priority list for trial next month after prosecution indicated it was ready.

His co-accued, Jacklyn Tanda, from Enga, is expected to appear in court next week.

A date is to be set for trial in the month of June.

The trial was supposed to start today.

Joshua Yawijah of Maia village, Southern Highlands Province, and Jacklyn Tanda of Enga are in court over allegations they forced a woman from the Central Province to swallow condoms, on the night of December 4, 2015, after they were found in her possession.

The trial was to be presided over by Justice Martin Ipang, who is on circuit in Waigani. However, it will not take place as the judge is yet to deal with other cases listed before him.

He adjourned the trial to next month for another judge to deal with.

Pangia man Joshua Yawijah and his co-accused, Jacklyn Tanda, from Enga, will stand trial at the Waigani National Court next week.

The matter went for status conference today where the dates for the two-day trial were set.

Yawijah and Tanda were committed to stand trial by the District Court on Sept 22 last year after sufficient evidence was found against them.

It is alleged that on Dec 4, 2015, at the Boroko Police Station, Yawijah, while in the company of female probationary officer, Tanda, forced a woman to chew and swallow two male condoms.

23-year-old Pangia man, Joshua Yawijah, from Southern Highlands Province, and 46-year-old Dennis Aviupa, from Huon Gulf, Morobe, appeared from police custody at the Bomana courthouse this week.

They briefly appeared on Wednesday before Magistrate Mekeo Gauli, where their charges were read and explained to them in court before their cases were adjourned to next month.

They were arrested and charged by Police Internal Affairs Directorate on January 4 this year following investigations into their conduct after a complaint was lodged by the victim.

22-year-old Pangia man Joshua Yawijah and his co-accused, 23-year-old Engan woman, Jacklyn Tanda, appeared before Justice Panuel Mogish on Monday where their District Court bail conditions were reviewed.

Justice Mogish told their lawyer and lawyers from the office of the Public Prosecutor to file pre-trial review statements before they return to court on Dec 5 at the Bomana National Court.

Their lawyers were also told to file notice of appearance in court for their legal representation.

The Waigani District Court today ordered the committal of 22-year-old Pangia man Joshua Yawijah and his co-accused, 23-year-old Engan woman, Jacklyn Tanda, to stand trial.

They are expected to appear for listing before the National Court on Oct 10.

Their committal today comes after Magistrate Cosmas Bidar discharged the statement of the complainant, Evangelyn John Aitsi, because it found that the statement was signed by someone only known to the court as Babine.

A female journalist from EMTV and her cameraman were threatened and almost assaulted by police officer Joshua Yawijah.

Yawijah is the same cop implicated in the condom swallowing incident at the Boroko Police station on Dec 4, 2015.

The cop, who did not want the cameraman getting cutaways of him walking outside the courthouse, approached him and attempted to pull the camera off its stand. Yawijah then tried to throw a punch at the cameraman and also the journalist.

The probationary police officers – 22-year-old Joshua Yawijah of Maia village, Pangia, Southern Highlands Province, and 23-year-old Jacklyn Tanda of Sakarip village, Wabag, Enga Province – returned to Court this morning with their lawyer for mention.

Police Prosecution filed its submissions in response to the two officers’ submissions made earlier to the court.

The officers also returned to court today with an application to have their case entirely dismissed on the ground they were not supposed to be charged criminally for the alleged offence.