EC takes blogger to court

By DEMAS TIEN
ELECTORAL Commissioner Patilias Gamato has obtained a court order to restrain a blogger from publishing defamatory remarks against him on social media.
Gamato, through Kawat Lawyers, moved an urgent application ex-parte before Justice Colin Makail in the National Court in Waigani to restrain blogger Martyn Namarong, his servants, agents and associates, from further publishing defamatory remarks against Gamato on social media, particularly Tweeter and Facebook.
He also obtained an order that the service of the writ of summons, notice of motion and the court orders would be published in dailies. This was because Gamato’s lawyer said they could not locate Namarong in person. He said they only saw his remarks on social media. Justice Makail granted the orders and adjourned the substantive matter to July 25 to be dealt with in a civil court.
He said the case was a civil matter and could not be dealt with in an election petition court, although it was related to the elections.
Gamato’s lawyer told the court that Namarong had been publishing defamatory articles on social media against Gamato regarding his leadership during the general election.