Judge: Watch what you post on social media

The National Main Stories

By HEZRON KISING
A JUDGE has warned people of the repercussions of posting defamatory items on social media, while jailing an offender two years yesterday.
Acting judge Justice John Numapo told the National Court in Lae that cybercrime was a “pretty new offence and still being tested”, referring to the enactment of the Cyber Crime Code Act 2016.
“It came about as a result of the advent of Facebook and other social media platforms on information communication technologies whereby people post their views and comments on virtually anything and everything,” he said.
“There is no scrutiny or control over what is posted or uploaded onto the sites.”
He said there was “very little in terms of case laws in this area”.
“There is also no precedent to follow in so far as penalty is concerned. The court is therefore left to decide on its own what should be the appropriate penalty for this offence.”
He handed down the two-year jail term on Thompson Benguma, 60, a father of four from Yangoru-Sausia district in East Sepik, but suspended the sentence and placed him on a good behavior bond for 12 months.
“I consider this a peculiar case with its own unique circumstances as opposed to another mainstream criminal cases that we are all familiar with. As a result it must be given a special consideration,” he said.
The court was told that Benguma had made a defamatory publication and a harassment post on Facebook about a businessman and his company between Sept 7 and 12.
He posted cartoon images depicting officers manhandling the businessman.

3 comments

  • Judge, Should send him straight way to jail. Very old man should understand wisely but then became like child.

  • Guilty for using “CARTOON” images??

    Now I see many papers around the world in which they use cartoons depicting leaders in somewhat inappropriate ways…and they are not charged…different laws perhaps.

  • Where is the freedom of Expression, one of the Eight Point pillars of the constitution lost? Cartoon expressions are cool way of expressing feelings and is obscure and not direct. It requires people with interest to interpret the meaning of the cartoon and is a healthy way of expression. Papua New Guinea will continue to head into the road of self imprisonment by precedence and or so called Cyber Laws.

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