A man accused of threatening to kill Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, had his case dismissed by the Waigani Committal Court this morning.
It was dismissed due to insufficient evidence presented in court and a lack of evidence supporting the charge.
The ruling was handed down by senior magistrate, Cosmas Bidar.
The accused, Michael Ambrose, from Pangia in the Southern Highlands, allegedly posted on social media threats of killing the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, in April this year.
He was arrested and charged for issuing written threats to kill, a charge under the Criminal Code Act.
Since his arrest, Ambrose has been representing himself in court, until his case was dismissed today.
A statement issued by Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, was read out in court today as the main evidence.
After reading the statement, magistrate Bidar said the Prime Minister is a leader, and is subjected to public scrutiny.
He later asked the police prosecutor if the accused was really capable of killing the Prime Minister, and questioned the nature of the threats.
When dismissing the case, Bidar said the function of the committal court is to consider the totality of evidence and decide if the case continues to a higher court, or is settled at the district court.
After the ruling, Ambrose apologised to Peter O’Neill for his alleged actions, and said the actions were a demonstration of his frustrations.
