Mano charged with cybercrime

THE managing director of a State agency has been charged with cybercrime related to a plot to assassinate another state agency official.
Mineral Resource Development Corporation managing director Augustine Mano was arrested by police at Jackson Airport on arrival from Australia yesterday morning.
Police allege that Mano had plotted on social media to have Petroleum Resource Gobe chairman Philip Kende “assassinated”, according to National Capital District-Central commander assistant police
commissioner Donald Yamasombi.
“Mano from Pwati village, Erave, Southern Highlands, was charged with one count under the Cybercrime Act 2016 of cyber harassment for allegedly using an unknown number to send (social messages) to assassinate Kende.
Police, after receiving a complaint from Kende, traced the unknown number and discovered it allegedly belonged to Mano.”
Yamasombi said Mano was arrested when he arrived from Cairns, Australia.
“He was taken to the Boroko Police Station, interviewed, charged and detained. (But) he was later released on bail.”
After he was released on a K5,000 bail, Mano held a press conference at his office in downtown to explain that the arrests was not in relation to the functions of MRDC.
“It was to do with me personally. But I’ll go to court to clear this allegation,” he said.