Accra, July 9, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has discharged Anderson Ofosuhene Anim, alias Morio Gee, a web designer and a blogger, charged for sextortion.
The Administrator of Empress Leaks was discharged over the delays by the prosecution in filing its disclosures.
In August, 2020, Ofosuhene was arrested in a joint operation by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department and the Ministry of Communications.
He was accused of using the website to publish nude pictures and videos of people and extorting monies from them, and charged with the offence of obscenity, child pornography, extortion and money laundering.
The publication of child pornographic content constitutes a criminal offence and perpetrators are liable currently under section 136 of the electronic transaction Act 772.
The Act states that a person who intentionally does publishing of child pornography through a computer, producing or procuring child pornography for the purpose of its publication through a computer system and possessing child pornography on a computer system or electronic medium commits an offence.
His plea was preserved awaiting the advice of the Attorney General and was on a GHC300,000 bail.
However since the accused was arraigned in August 2020, the Police had failed to file disclosures.
Inspector Princess Tetteh Boafo, the prosecutor in the case told the court that the accused person’s docket was still with the Attorney General’s office pending advice.
Mr Yaw Dankwa, the lawyer for the accused person told the Court presided over by Susanna Eduful that the prosecution had failed to file simple disclosures and thus called for the release of his client.
He said no effort had been made to prosecute the case and prayed the court to strike it out.
The lawyer said Police knew the accused’s whereabouts and could re-arrest him when they put their house in order.
The court, before discharging the accused said it had given the prosecution ample time and opportunities to file its disclosures but have failed to do so.
GNA