Detainee re-arrested for posting threats to kill prime minister: Police

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A DETAINEE facing wilful murder and armed robbery charges has been arrested again for allegedly posting threats to kill Prime Minister James Marape, crimes division Asst Comm of Police (ACP) Hodges Ette says.
Dominic Aku Jason, 27, from Daulo, Eastern Highlands, is scheduled to appear in court today to face fresh charges which Police Commissioner David Manning described as “very serious and not to be treated lightly”.
“The detainee (at Bomana prison) posted on a Facebook forum page and threatened to kill Marape with a gun, saying ‘PMJM, YOU NEED TO STEP DOWN ASAP BEFORE BULLET PENETRATE YOUR HEAD’,” ACP Ette said.
“The detainee was facing charges of armed robbery, wilful murder and stealing motor vehicles when he issued the threats.” Now he has additional charges – cyber harassment and written threats to kill the prime minister.
Manning said Jason, also known as Nicky Jason, was being questioned further after a complaint was laid by Marape.
ACP Ette said: “He used a mobile phone in prison and posted these threats on July 29 at 10am.”
He said a special investigation team on information technology (IT) and cybercrime experts then began tracking down the man who had created an account on Facebook with a fake name.
“The detectives went undercover and made contact with him through Facebook and began communicating with him and, eventually, got his mobile number,” ACP Ette said.
“Then on Friday at 9am, the man called the undercover detective requesting for some money and the detective agreed to give him some.
“Since he was in prison, he lied that he was out of town and arranged for Runner (his friend) to meet him to get the money.”
ACP Ette said arrangement was made for the detective and Runner to meet outside Boreboa Primary School in Waigani.
“When the undercover detective met Runner, the rest of the detectives moved in and arrested him,” he said.