Donald’s defamation case dismissed

NORTH Fly MP James Donald, who was committed to stand trial for defamation publication, was discharged of the charge by the Waigani National Court after the public prosecutor indicated to the court not to proceed with the case.
Justice Teresa Berrigan on Wednesday granted an application filed by Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin to discharge Donald from the charge of defamatory publication on the basis that there was no evidence to continue the case.
Donald, from Gasuke village, Kiunga in North Fly, Western, was accused of publishing defamatory material against lawyer Greg Sheppard, of Young and William Lawyers on his Facebook page last July 16.
According to a press statement by Donald, he had spoken out in the interests of his silent ordinary people and that he had always believed in his innocence and therefore cooperated with due process which enabled a merit and fact-based outcome as opposed to reliance on technical, time-wasting strategies.
He added that the outcome fortified his personal conviction that PNG’s criminal justice system continued to be robust, fool-proof and fiercely in sync with the letter of the Constitution.