Three Chinese nationals residing in Madang have been arrested and charged by Madang police concerning an incident that happened on May 9, 2025, at Yaho Supermarket, where a 45-year-old mother and her daughter were seriously assaulted.
Madang Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector Robert Baim confirmed that the Yaho Supermarket Manager, the Supreme Investment Cooperative Service Manager, and one other Chinese national were arrested and charged yesterday (Monday, the 19th) with two charges each of grievous bodily harm and deprivation of liberty concerning the mother and daughter.
He said the three were allowed on K12 000 police bail and will appear in court when their court documents are ready. He mentioned that this now brings the total number of arrests to six, of which the other three are Papua New Guineans. He stated that the investigation into the incident on May 9 is still ongoing, and more arrests are expected to take place.
PPC Baim said, according to an investigation on May 9, 2025, the victim, 45-year-old mother Josephine Kadiknam, and her daughter were doing their shopping at Yaho Supermarket in Madang town when they were confronted by the shop employees and the security guards from Pacific Cooperative Services. It was alleged that the guards and the shop employees claimed that the mother and daughter had stolen items from the shop.
“The guards and the employees then escorted the mother and daughter to the shop’s storage area and started unlawfully assaulting them. After assaulting them, they took the mother to the police station and detained her while allowing the daughter to go home. After the mother was detained, the police officers requested that both parties come forward and provide their statements. During the investigation of the matter, a video went viral of what really happened at Yahoo. The video captured the detained mother. I then instructed my officers to quickly obtain statements from the mother, the child, and the guards, and to have those responsible for committing any offenses related to that matter arrested and charged.
On the next day, the two shop employees were apprehended by my officers, who were alleged to be involved in assaulting the mother and daughter. The following day, another individual was picked up and charged, and yesterday, three Chinese men were charged, bringing the total to six people charged in connection with the Yahoo incident in Madang, PPC Baim said.
He stated that the investigation continues, and he thanked the public and his police officers for working together to assist in investigating the matter.
