Solomons police arrest man for Covid-19 'fake news'

Police in Solomon Islands have arrested and charged a 44 year-old man for posting misleading information about Covid-19 on social media.

Police said the man posted on Facebook that there was already a case of the coronavirus in Solomon Islands.

Police said this is not true and the country has no confirmed cases of Covid-19.

The supervising assistant commissioner for crime and intelligence, Patricia Leta said the man has been charged with spreading false rumours and released on bail to appear in court on 14 April.

"It is a serious offence to spread false rumours that cause public disharmony."

"So be careful and make sure your facts are correct before disseminating any information for public consumption especially on Facebook," Ms Leta said.