BURNS Creek community chairman John Seti Iromea is now filing a court case to sue the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lau/Mbaelelea Augustine Auga and the Island Sun newspaper for Defamation of character.
Speaking to the Solomon Star last week, Mr Iromea said this was in relation to an article published by the paper on Monday 30th November, 2015 with the title: Iromea wants Lau MP Auga to face justice, Auga says bring it to court!
In the article, Island Sun quoted Mr Auga referring to Iromea as a ‘stupid man’.
In a letter dated 01/03/16 written to MP Auga and the Island Sun newspaper, which was sighted by the Solomon Star, the community chairman said after spending sometimes reading the article, he came to realise that comments made by Auga was defamatory by nature.
“….based on the Law of Solomon Islands, I filed this report to seek for a legal action to prosecute such person and organization who has no respect to use my name under such defamatory image.
“This is illegal according to the Law of this country!” Iromea stated.
In the written letter, Iromea based his rights under Section 191 and 193 of the Penal Code (Ch.19), which states the Definition of libel and the Definition of publication.
“Definition of libel
191. Any person who, by print, writing, painting, effigy, or by libel any means otherwise than solely by gestures, spoken words or other sounds, unlawfully publishes any defamatory matter concerning another person, with intent to defame that other person, is guilty of the misdemeanour termed “libel”.
“Definition of publication
193-(1) A person publishes a libel if he causes the print, writing, painting, effigy or other means by which the defamatory matter is conveyed, to be so dealt with, either by exhibition, reading, recitation, description, delivery or otherwise, as that the defamatory meaning thereof becomes known or is likely to become known to either the person defamed or any other person.
(2) It is not necessary for libel that a defamatory meaning should be directly or completely expressed; and it suffices if such meaning and its application to the person alleged to be defamed can be collected either from the alleged libel itself or from any extrinsic circumstances, or partly by the one and partly by the other means”.
“I would therefore stand firm to lay this charge against the Island Sun Manager and Hon. Augustine Auga and that defamatory action is a criminal offence. Hence, the Island Sun and Hon. Augustine Auga are liable for prosecution and they must face the court of law.
“I am in the process of making every effort to bring this matter to the court of law for further legal action to take its course,” the community chairman stated this, in the letter.
He added, this kind of criminal behaviour is unacceptable and as a person responsible for the wellbeing of Burns Creek community condemned such behaviour and defamatory practice in strongest term.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA