Coughing ‘porn man’ causes coronavirus scare in court
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Accra circuit court got stirred up after a porn website administrator accused of sextortion coughed persistently.
It just took ‘three rattling sounds’ from the 35-year-old suspect, Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin, to cause court patrons to shift their attention to him.
Heads turned into each other with quizzical looks, wondering if the suspect may be battling symptoms of the novel virus. Cough is one of the symptoms of the COVID-19 and a spreader of the virus through the air.
“You want all of us to run away?” the Circuit Court judge Sussana Eduful asked the accused.
The judge’s immediate outburst to the accused incessant cough sent a raft of laughter in the courtroom.
In response, Ofosu Hene Amin who is currently in custody at the Nima Police station told the court he was not feeling well.
The accused who spoke in the local dialect also accused the police of failing to assist him to get medical care.
“I am not feeling well and the police are not taking me to the hospital. I have complained several times but nothing has been said about it,” the accused spoke in Twi.
In defense, the investigator who came with the accused person denied the accused person’s allegations.
He told the court that all accused persons currently at the police station are always given the needed medical attention.
Background
The administrator of Empressleak website was arrested for illegally publishing nude pictures and videos without the express permission of the owners.
The 35-year-old suspect, Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin, popularly known as Mario G, was arrested at his hideout in the Eastern Region.
His arrest follows a report made by a senior high school student on January 6, 2020 to the Cyber Crime Unit that her nude picture was published without her consent.
This was made known at a joint press briefing organised by the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Communications.
The Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, explained that the website in question has been noted for publishing child pornographic content for the past six years.
“Available evidence including witness statement showed that the website has been demanding money from unsuspecting victims before their content is pulled down.
“Analysis conducted by the National Cyber Crime Centre has revealed that the website has about 600,000 viewers monthly in Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States.
“On January 6, this year, the computer emergency response team of the cyber security agency received a report which led to his arrest on July 31,” she indicated.
The sector minister noted that the issue of sexual extortion, now known as ‘sextortion’ has become a common practice in the country.
Anderson Ofosu Hene Amin has since been charged with the offence of obscenity, child pornography, extortion of money and money laundering.
The publication of child pornographic content constitute a criminal offence and perpetrators are liable currently under section 136 of the electronic transaction Act 772, which states that a person who intentionally does any of the following acts:
a. Publishes child pornography through a computer
b. Produces or procures child pornographic for the purpose of its publication through a computer system
c. Possessing child child pornography on a computer system or electronic medium commits an offence.
In August, this year, the accused person was granted bail in the sum of GHc300,000 with two sureties with properties registered with either one or both names.
But the accused has not been able to meet his bail condition.
The court is yet to take the plea of the accused person but he has been charged with the offence of obscenity, child pornography, extortion and money laundering.
But pending the advice, his charges may increase or decrease. The case continues on November 16, 2020.