Donald on cyber crime charges

NORTH Fly MP James Donald will appear before the District Court to answer two charges of publishing statements on a case pending in court, police say.
National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate director Chief Supt Mathew Damaru said Donald was charged with one count of defamatory publication under the Cyber Crime Act, and one count of attempting to pervert the cause of justice.
Donald, 38, is from Gasuke village in Kiunga, North Fly. The case before the court he allegedly commented on was between the Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Ltd and the PNG Sustainable Development Programme.
Donald is out on a K1,000 bail.
The complaint was lodged by Greg Sheppard of Young and William Lawyers. It is alleged that Donald jointly signed a media statement with PNG SDP chairman Philip Bainbridge and acting Middle Fly district development authority chairman Kawe Biyama which was defamatory against Sheppard and his law firm and against Pastor Steven Bagari, Lawyer Samson Jubi and the leaders of the Community Mine Continuation Agreement communities of Western.