Maverick Aoko, the woman who allegedly posted hateful online messages about the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Soipan Tuya, leading to her arrèst on Friday and detainment over the weekend, has been charged and is set to face trial for cyberbully¡ng.
The court heard that, however, Maverick Aoko, a journalist, whose real name is Scophine Aoko Otieno, published indecent remarks on August 3, 2024, to hurt a complainant identified as Beth Wambui Mbuitu and not CS Tuya.
“On the 3rd day of August 2024 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before the court, knowingly and unlawfully published false, defamatory and threatening information online, while using the X Corp Account dubbed: Maverick Aoko @AokoOtieno_.
“She did this knowing it to be malicious, false, and well-calculated, which caused fear and panic and destroyed the reputation, professional career, and livelihood of one Beth Wambui Mbuitu,” the court documents read.
The charges comprising publishing false information under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018, fraudulent use of electronic data contrary to its Section 38 and cyber harassment contrary to Section 27 of the same Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act was read to Aoko before Milimani sessions court Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi on Monday, August 19.
She denied the charges and was released on Ksh100,000 cash bail pending pre-trial on September 2, when the police will have completed investigations into her gadgets, including a phone and a laptop, which were seized from her.
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