Waigani District Court has struck out a high-profile cybercrime case against Ronald Banipi involving State Enterprises Minister William Duma, citing significant delays in prosecution.
Magistrate Paul Puri Nii struck out the case today following an application by defense counsel Abednego Miori.
The defense argued for the case to be struck out under Section 37(3) of the Constitution, citing the State’s failure to produce a police file or prosecute the matter within a reasonable timeframe.
Counsel Miori noted that since Mr. Banipi’s arrest in October, the case had been subject to five adjournments without progress.
Magistrate Nii concurred with the defense’s submission, ordering the immediate refund of Mr. Banipi’s K5,000 bail.
The charges stemmed from an incident on October 12, 2025, when police apprehended Mr. Banipi in Port Moresby. The arrest followed a formal complaint by Minister William Duma regarding a social media post on Mr. Banipi’s Facebook profile.
The post in question featured a caption written by Banipi accompanying a shared news article from The National’s online page.
Arresting officer, Detective Zina Afuti charged Banipi with one count of Defamatory Publication under Section 21(2) of the Cybercrime Code Act 2016, alleging the post damaged the Minister’s reputation and credibility.
Mr. Banipi was represented pro bono by Mr. Miori, who volunteered his services after the arrest gained significant traction on social media. After spending time in the Boroko Police Station cells, Banipi was released on bail on October 13 and first appeared in the Committal Court on October 27 to maintain his innocence.
Following the court’s decision today, Mr. Banipi and his counsel expressed their gratitude to the public for their support. Mr. Miori described the outcome as a significant precedent for the protection of constitutional rights regarding timely prosecution.
