Impersonation charges laid in connection to antisemitic social media post

Halifax Regional Police have laid impersonation charges in relation to an antisemitic social media post tied to the account of a former government employee from October 2023.

On Oct. 17, police received a report that someone accessed the account — who was not the account holder — and sent out the post as the account holder.

The suspect, who police confirmed to be 25-year-old Samual Shaji, is scheduled to appear at Halifax provincial court at a later date to face one count of personation.

While police didn’t name the account holder in the news release, Nargis DeMolitor — who had been a special advisor to Nova Scotia’s minister of labour, skills and immigration — was fired because of the post.

DeMolitor denies authoring the post, which read “Israel must stop being the Nazi’s of 21st century. Killing innocent Palestinians for political gain is inhumane and dictatorial. Free Palestine Now…”

She claimed this post was made by Shaji, someone who she says she had hired to manage her X account between January and March of 2023

She filed a lawsuit against the premier’s office for wrongful dismissal last month, but a few days later filed paperwork to end the action.

The claim described Shaji as “a respected member of the PC Party’s diversity committee” and someone who “had connections to Premier (Tim) Houston’s inner circle.”

None of the allegations contained in DeMolitor’s statement of claim have been tested in court because the lawsuit did not proceed.