Shop owner to face court over ‘search’

By ROSELYN ELLISON
POLICE in Maprik, East Sepik, have charged a Chinese businessman and a Filipino woman with indecent assault following a complaint that an employee was strip-searched at the workplace.
Police said the woman allegedly strip-searched her employee after K200 was unaccounted for in the day’s taking.
Maprik Police Station commander, Richard Rafa said the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the BNH Trading owned by a Chinese businessman.
Rafa said after the shop manager discovered that K200 was missing, the Filipino woman was told to search two female employees.
The man and woman have been bailed for K1,000 each and will appear before the Maprik District Court soon.
Police identified the man as Yang Ho, 28, from Fujian in China. The woman is Meresol Jelence,18, from Manila in the Philippines.
“I am now calling on all the landowners allowing foreigners to operate businesses in Maprik to let them know about the law,” Rafa said.
He said everyone must know only the police were allowed to carry out such searches.
He said police in Maprik planned to conduct searches at business houses owned by foreigners.
“We will check if they have passports, work permit and visas,” he said.