Empressleaks blog operator granted ¢300,000 bail
Anderson Ofosuhene Anim alias Morio Gee, a web designer and a blogger who was busted by the Police over revenge pornography and extortion on the internet has been granted bail.
Anim who appeared before an Accra Circuit court on Wednesday was admitted to bail in the sum of ¢300,000 with two sureties to be justified with landed property.
The documents of the landed property must be deposited at the Courts Registry pending the final determination of the case.
The court presided over by Susana Eduful adjourned the matter to October 12, awaiting the advice from the Attorney General’s Department.
It further ordered the Prosecution to file the AG’s advice within one month.
Prosecuting, Inspector Princess Tettey Boafo, earlier informed the court the Police were waiting for the advice from the AG.
According to prosecution, the plea of the accused should be preserved until the advice is received since the charges could change.
She did not object to the granting of bail saying investigations have been completed.
She 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 prosecuting 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 operates the www.empressleaks.bizwebsite.
The prosecution said Anim invested the proceeds of the crime into purchasing of houses and vehicles after he had collected various sums of money ranging from GH₵100.00 to GH₵500.00 through mobile money.
She said Anim is 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.bizwas operating in the internet space by publishing nude videos and pictures of Ghanaian children and adults without their knowledge.
The prosecution said further inquiry revealed that Anim, who owns the website collects 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.
The 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 the Empressleaks 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 send the same to him.