Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 13 October 2020

Source: GNA

AG orders further investigations into alleged pornographic web blogger’s case

Anderson Ofosuhene Anim alias Morio Gee is a web designer and a blogger Anderson Ofosuhene Anim alias Morio Gee is a web designer and a blogger

The Attorney General’s Department has tasked the Police to conduct further investigations into the case of Anderson Ofosuhene Anim alias Morio Gee, a web designer and a blogger, in Police grips over internet pornography.

According to the prosecution, the said investigations would pave way for the Attorney General’s Department to give its advice on the case docket.

Inspector Princess Tettey Boafo, the prosecutor, told the court when Anim appeared before the court on Monday.

Inspector Boafo therefore prayed the court to grant them one month more adjournment to conduct the investigation and come back to court.

At the last sitting, prosecution informed the court that they were seeking the advice of the AG on the matter hence prayed for adjournment.

The court presided over by Mrs. Susana Eduful warned the prosecution that if after the one month adjournment nothing was done, she would be forced to discharge the accused person.

The court therefore tasked the prosecution to file their disclosures whiles awaiting the advice of the AG.

Meanwhile, Anim who was admitted to bail in the sum of ¢300,000 with two sureties to be justified with landed property, has not been able to execute his bail.

The documents of the landed property must be deposited at the Courts Registry pending the final determination of the case.

When he appeared before the court today, Anim complained to the court that he had been sick while in lawful custody at the Nima Police Station but the Police had not sent him to the hospital.

According to Anim, the Police were also making it difficult for his relations to bring him medicine.

The case investigator who brought him to court however denied Anim’s claims, saying any inmate who complained of any ailment was sent to the hospital.

The investigator said Anim had never complained of any ailment.

Earlier, Anim coughed continuously in court thereby attracting the attention of the trial judge.

The trial judge Mrs. Eduful asked Anim, “Why do you want all of us to run away?”

At the last court sitting, Prosecution had prayed the court that the plea of the accused should be preserved until the advice was received since the charges could change.

Inspector Boafo said Anim allegedly collected monies from victims, both children and adults under the pretext of pulling down their nude pictures and videos on the internet.

The prosecutor said despite collecting the monies, Anim rather splashed the videos and pictures of the victims on social media.

She said the accused conducted his activities at Osino, in the Eastern Region, as he operated the www.empressleaks.bizwebsite.

The prosecution said Anim invested the proceeds of the crime into purchasing of houses and vehicles. He collected various sums of money ranging from GHS100.00 to GHS500.00 through mobile money.

She said Anim was being held on charges of child pornography, publication of obscene materials and cybercrime and money laundering.

Prosecuting, Inspector Boafo said in January last year, the Cybercrime Unit of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) through intelligence gathered that www.empressleaks.biz was operating in the internet space by publishing nude videos and pictures of Ghanaian children and adults without their knowledge.

Prosecution said further inquiry revealed that Anim, who owned the website, collected monies from victims via mobile money before pulling down their videos and pictures from the site, but sometimes even after paying the monies to him, the videos and pictures are however later posted on social media platforms.

Prosecution said on January 30, this year, the Cybercrime Unit team proceeded to Anim’s residence at Osino, where he was found uploading videos on www.empressleaks.biz website.

According to prosecution, all digital devices were retrieved and efforts were underway to apprehend Anim’s accomplices who took nude videos and pictures of victims and sent the same to him.