Two charged with text harassment

By GIDEON KINDIWA
TWO cybercrime cases were heard at the Waigani Committal Court yesterday, in which the accused persons were alleged to have caused harassment through texting.
Julius Jiap, 49, from Minj in Jiwaka, was charged with cyber harassment after he was alleged to have sent a text message to a female relative, Denna Jiap, and told her to read a newspaper article which indirectly threatened the complainant.
The article was on page 8 of the Post Courier Weekender dated Nov 23, 2018. It was headed: “A suspect in love triangle faces murder charges”.
Although, the article was about something else, the accused was alleged to have used it to threaten the complainant by texting her and telling her to read it.
The complainant reported the matter to the Boroko police station last month. Jiap was arrested and charged.
The matter was adjourned to next month.
In another case, a woman was alleged to have texted another woman and threatened her. Regina Enn, 33, from Chimbu, texted Betty Nelson “on the purpose of coercing, intimidating, threatening, harassing and causing emotional distress”.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar, however, could not find any facts relating to the case.
“There weren’t any facts or evidences of the exact words used by the accused presented to the court,” he said.
Bidar adjourned the case and asked for police to gather the facts since it was the first hearing.