FREELANCE Journalist, CYRIL GARE (defendant) appeared in Waigani Committal Court this morning.
He was charged by police on one count of defamatory publication.
Magistrate Paul Puri Nii read out the charge/information to him (arraignment), which he said he understood, before adjourning the matter to Aug 29, 2024 at 9:30 am.
Court also extended bail of K3,000.
Outside court, Mr. Gare said he plans to make a plea of not guilty in the next hearing and will defend it all through.
Co complainant was one Terry Koim, Managing Director of Livestock Development Corporation (LDC).
The said offence was tracked from an online publication by Mr. Gare posted on 18th April, 2022.
That was two years ago.
Mr. Gare’s article carried a response or rebuttal by then acting Department of Agriculture & Livestock (DAL) Secretary, Mr. Stephen Mombi to an earlier article by a Staff Reporter titled “K3 million Funds For LDC Disappeared Without a Trace Under Mombi’s Administration”.
That publication denigrated Mombi’s reputation so he engaged Gare as a freelance journalist to rebut.
Mr. Gare said standard journalism practice is that an aggrieved person over a or any news article printed or broadcasted should contact the particular reporter or newsroom to register his dissatisfaction immediately, not after two years.
The reporter/newsroom will consider an opportunity for the aggieved to respond, retraction, apology, or all of it if article was liable of any derogatory insinuations.
Failing that, the aggrieved could take court action.
However, this was not the case.
Secondly, Mr. Gare said the charge police laid on him was misguided and misapplied as it was plucked out of a quote made by acting DAL Secretary, Mr. Mombi in the news.
Thirdly, Mr. Gare said he found it strange that Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) Police at Boroko processed his interview [ROI] and arrest on Kings birthday holiday- June 17 instead of Cybercrime police, which has trained specialist at 7mile police station.
