Defamation cases becoming common, says magistrate

DEFAMATION cases are becoming prevalent since the establishment of the Cybercrime Act, says Magistrate Ernest Wilmot.
Wilmot made the comments after a man was charged with one count of defamatory publication at the Waigani Committal Court yesterday.
Francis Koou, 59 from Bundralis village, Lorengau in Manus was alleged to have posted defamatory remarks on social media against Jacob Mark, a first assistant secretary of the payments section in the Finance department.
It was alleged that on July 2, at 11.55pm, Richard Kerman posted an article on Facebook titled, “Dr Ken Ngangan House in Australia controversy saga clearance brief”.
There were comments posted by others and it was alleged that Koou was one of the persons who allegedly posted his comment to the main post using his Facebook account “Francis Koou”.
Koou allegedly describe the complainant Jacob Mark in part of his posts as, “One corrupt Jacob Mark, a First Assistance Secretary stealing from the public purse, a broad daylight robbery abusing the accounting system and deleting their trail and destroying paper trails”.
The complainant (Mark) learned of that particular comment and had Koou apprehended on July 19 after reporting to it to the police.
Koou was charged with one count of defamatory publication under Section 21 (2) of the Cybercrime Code Act and detained at the Boroko Police Station.
Koou appeared in the Waigani Committal Court on K500 bail and with Wilmot ruling for the case to be heard on Sept 10.