The Department of State Services (DSS) has dragged a 19-year-old girl, Miss Charlotte Delhi, before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, over her alleged involvement in the circulation of a naked video of a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Walton Liverpool, on the social media.
Delhi was said to have shared the photo of the ex-Perm Sec with an intent to extort N15m from him.
The DSS, in suit number FHC/YNG/33C/2021, filed a one-count against the defendant, alleging that she engaged in cyber-stalking with an intention of blackmail.
The DSS said the offence was contrary to Section 24 (2c) and punishable under sub-paragraph (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015.
The charge read to the defendant, stated: “That you, Charlotte Delhi, on the 14th day of September, 2021, in Yenagoa, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, for the purpose of extorting the sum of N15m from Dr. Walton Liverpool, intentionally posted a video showing the naked appearance of the said Liverpool on a WhatsApp group tagged, ‘Off Liverpool’ with an I-Phone 7 Plus mobile phone and GSM No. 08084267342.”
The defendant, Miss Charlotte Delhi, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge.
Both lawyers, Principal Legal Officer of the DSS, Victor Uchendu Esq, and a former Attorney-General of Bayelsa State and counsel for the defendant, A.S. Arthur Esq, disagreed on issue of bail application.
But both counsels agreed that the trial should be made to enjoy accelerated hearing.
While Uchendu argued that the defence counsel only a few hours before the trial handed him the application for bail process, saying that the key witness to the case was not in good health.
Seeking the judge’s leave for adjournment, Uchendu said: “I was served the bail application two hours before the court sitting and there was no time for me to study the weighty allegations.”
On his part, A.S. Arthur argued that the defence team would have loved for the Presiding Judge to hear the application for bail based on the age and gender of the accused.
“She has been in detention for over 13 days and the DSS has refused to allow her visits from the lawyers,” he stated.
After listening to arguments from both counsel, the Presiding Judge, Justice Isa Dashen, ordered that the accused be remanded in the State Correctional Centre, Okaka.
He adjourned hearing on the suit until Thursday, October 21.
The suspect was said to have allegedly circulated the naked video of the former Permanent Secretary, Dr. Walton Liverpool, on social media after the victim’s refusal to succumb to her blackmail.
It was learnt from some security sources that the SIM card which she allegedly used to post the nude video contained phone contacts of suspected clients including some members of the State House of Assembly and top politicians in the state.
It was also gathered that the claim of the suspect that she was 17 was faulted by her birth certificate which indicated that she was born on 10th of October, 2002 which makes her 19-years-old.
