I have no wife and son to murder, and why should I if I have!

Mathew Yakai walking along one of those beautiful parks in Beijing

Caption: Mathew Yakai in Beijing, China and not in Markham.

A news report by The National Wednesday 22 April carried a name similar to mine

http://www.thenational.com.pg/042209/nation31.php Below is the story.

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Man wilfully murdered wife, son, court told

A MARKHAM man appeared for his murder trial at the National Court in Lae on Monday.

Mathew Yaki Yakai, in his late 20s, from Hinsi village, appeared before Justice George Manuhu on two counts of wilful murder.He is accused of murdering his wife and their three-year-old son in 2007.

The court was told that on Jan 8 that year, Yakai was in a garden with wife Monica and son Ezekiel at 9.30am.While they were there, Yakai and his wife had an argument.The accused then ran towards the woman with a bush knife and “chopped her all over the body”, the court heard.

She died from a massive loss of blood, prosecutors said.They further told the court that Yakai “then used the same bush knife to chop his son, who died on the spot”.He dumped the bodies in a nearby drain and went home, the court was told.

The accused did not tell anybody about what happened until two weeks later, when he told his brother, father and other relatives.He was arrested on Jan 20.The prosecutors said Yakai had planned to kill his family.

Two police officers, who said they recorded an interview with the accused on Jan 28, testified that Yakai “had made admissions of the incident during the interview”.Yakai denied both charges.The trial continues.

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On Friday 24 April, 2009, The national published the developing story but with the different sir name. http://www.thenational.com.pg/042409/nation31.php

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Man acquitted of murdering wife, son

A MARKHAM man was acquitted by the National court in Lae of the wilful murder of his wife and toddler son on Wednesday.

Justice George Manuhu acquitted Mathew Yaki Matai, in his late 20s, from Hinsi village after a three-day trial when his father, who was brought in as the key State witness was declared a hostile witness.

The court was told on Monday that on Jan 8, 2007, Matai in an argument, chopped his wife all over her body with a bush knife then turned on their son.

His wife died from loss of blood while their son died instantly.Matai was alleged to have buried the bodies in a drain nearby and went home.

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And the Tuesday 28th April The National Column 1 cleared the air, thanks to FK: http://www.thenational.com.pg/042809/lead_column1.php

JOURNALIST and commentator Mathew Yakai got a shock recently to read in the PNG news that he might have murdered his wife and child. He was said to have committed the crime on the Markham plains. We are assured that he could not possibly be the culprit since he was in China when the crime occurred. Plus we are told he has no wife or son to murder. An unrelated namesake was the cause of the confusion.

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