Blogger Aoko Released on Ksh.100K Bail in False Info Case
Blogger Maverick Aoko Otieno has been released from police custody on a Ksh. 100,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty to three counts of publication of false information.
Aoko, who was arrested at her home on Friday, will return to court on September 2 for a pre-trial hearing.
The court was told that her laptop and phone, which were seized during her arrest, would not be released just yet because detectives were still investigating the matter.
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Aoko is accused of using her social media handle to spread false and defamatory information about complainant Beth Wambui Mbuitu.
In a charge sheet obtained by Gossipa2z.com, the suspect, who was arrested on Friday, August 16, is accused of posting a tweet that was described as malicious, false, and well-planned to harm the complainant’s reputation.
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She posted the tweet on August 3, 2024, saying: “Maze it disorients me to say this. But Amber Ray is innocent. She did not ruin marriage ya Jamal Amira.. Beth did..She’s the daughter of a powerful cop so if you find me thrown Kware, refer to this tweet… Ask how Jamal moved from Makanga wa South C to Matatu boss… Ndio naanza.”
According to the charge sheet, the remarks violated Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018, which states that if found guilty, a person faces a Ksh.5 million fine, a 10-year prison sentence, or both.
“A person who knowingly publishes false information in print, broadcast, data, or over a computer system, that is calculated or results in panic, chaos, or violence among citizens of the Republic, or that is likely to discredit a person’s reputation, commits an offense and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh.5 million or ten years in prison, or both,” reads a portion of the Act.
Three witnesses are scheduled to testify, including Sergeant Norah Shigi, a Digital Forensics expert at Kenya’s Communications Authority, and Chief Inspector Nickson Kinyua.
Blogger Aoko Released on Ksh.100K Bail in False Info Case