National Capital District (NCD) Metropolitan Commander Silva Sika has confirmed that local journalist Hennah Joku from Jayapura, Indonesia was arrested and charged with two counts of making a defamatory publication using any electronic device by the NCD Cybercrime Unit at 7-mile.
She was charged and processed at the 7-mile police station and then taken to Boroko Police Station cell where she made bail.
The charges stemmed from a complaint from her former partner Robert Agen who in an interview with Post-Courier Online said, “I filed the two (2) cybercrime complaints against Hennah Joku separately because she posted two separated defamatory publications about me on two separate dates after the three-men Supreme Court bench quashed my national court convictions for the charges of rape and assault.”
A Gender Based Violence survivor and a media specialist, Joku allegedly posted comments on two seperate dates pertaining to the release of Agen.
Police allege that she posted the first post on her Facebook page on Wednesday, 04 September 2024, two days after the Supreme Court quashed Agen’s convictions.
It is further alleged she again posted a second post on her Facebook page on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, fifteen (15) days after the Supreme Court decision.
Joku spent a few hours at Boroko police cell and was allowed police bail of K5, 000 (US$1,239) each for both charges at 10pm.
Police confirmed the bail was paid and she was allowed to leave.
Joku confirmed with Post-Courier Online stating that she was arrested and charged without further details of the complainant given.
She has since posted on her social sites questioning the justice system on free speech advocate and share awareness against gender-based violence in PNG has not protected her.
She however thanked her family and friends who promptly responded and assisted her.
“I will follow the process as I have the duration of my case.”
The charges that were laid against Joku was under the Cybercrime Act. She was charged two counts of making defamatory publication under section 21 (2) of the Cyber Crime Act.
The section states that any persons charged has allegedly made a defamatory publication using any or an electronic device.
The offence carries a penalty of K25,000 (US$6,195 to K1 million fine (US$247,000) or imprisonment not exceeding 15 to 25 years.
