Madang cops report two deaths

MADANG police have reported two deaths – a detainee at the Jomba police cell and another man from a settlement earlier this month.
Provincial police commander acting Supt Mazuc Rubiang identified the detainee as Jerry Yarang, 40, from Morobe.
According to information from police, Yarang and three other suspects were allegedly involved in number of criminal activities.
Police claimed the four were key people in providing logistics and the masterminds behind the K200,000 armed robbery at Saidor station at Raicoast last month.
Police confiscated their mobile phones after arresting them at Machine Gun Beach in Madang town on April 1 and discovered text messages, photographs and a call history linking the three of them to Yarang.
Yarang had earlier admitted to police that he had in his possession a police-issued firearm which was washed away by a flood at Tapo River where two policemen lost their lives in 2017.
He also admitted that he handed the gun to a Patrick Kanimba, alias Awa Pat, who used it in Saidor during a robbery and shoot-out with police.
He said he not only supplied the firearm but a magazine as well.
At 10pm, Yarang was taken back to the station where he met his relatives and was taken to the cell.
The next day (April 3), at around 7.30am, Yarang was not feeling well and had to be taken to the Modilon Hospital.
Police said Yarang was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Supt Rubiang said another was a murder case which occurred on April 6 at the Biliau Maus Rot, Ward 8 of the Madang Urban LLG.
He identified the deceased as Trevor Gumbari, from East Sepik.
He said Gumbari was chopped with a bush knife over a pig that he allegedly stole and killed.
Supt Rubiang said the suspect was in police custody.
“The suspect approached Gumbari at around 9.30pm on April 6 to find out why he stole and killed his pig. The suspect demanded that the deceased pay K1,200 as compensation. The argument led to physical confrontation where the suspect used a bush knife and chopped the deceased on the back.”
Supt Rubiang said the suspect was in police custody.