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FM
Former Member

‘Cyber-bully’ put on $200,000 bail

–for threatening life of President

BIBI Safoora Salim appeared before yesterday Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer a charge alleging that she has made threatening comments against Guyana’s Head of State, President David Granger, on social media.

Bibi Safoora Salim during her appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterdayBibi Safoora Salim during her appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday

The 52-year-old Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) resident denied that between March 1st and 31st, by means of a written and printed method, she had declared: “Granger want a bullet in head” on Facebook.

The mother of three was also charged with attempting to incite excitement, hostility, or ill-will by means of derogatory remarks of President Granger sent by cellphone to her son on ‘Whatsapp.’ She has also denied this charge.

Her attorney, Euclin Gomes, explained that his client is technologically challenged and is unlikely the one who had made the post on social media.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Neville Jeffers, objected to Salim being granted bail on ground that the threats made by Salim had incited several others to comment on the said post.

Jeffers also pointed out that Salim had admitted to the police that she had posted the status on social media, and he said the ranks were in possession of the laptop she had used to access Facebook.

The court was told that the prosecution’s file is complete and 14 witnesses would be called to testify.

Salim was granted $200,000 bail and was ordered to return to court on May 11 for commencement of the trial.

The woman has been charged under Chapter 23 of the Racial Hostility Act, which states thus: “A person shall be guilty of an offence if (he/she) willfully excites or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against any section of the public or against any person on the grounds of their or his race, by means of words spoken by him in a public place, or spoken by him and transmitted for general reception by wireless telegraphy or telegraph; or by causing words spoken by him or by some other person to be reproduced in a public place from a record; or by means of written (including printed) matter or pictorial matter published by him.”

If a person is found guilty of this offence, he or she shall be liable, on summary conviction, to be fined $65,000 and face imprisonment of up to two years.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Careful what you say about this gov't. This gov't. is not like the one you have gotten used to. Abusing the PPP and Jagdeo was constitutional and legal. Not the case with this government.

You can also get banned from posting here.

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Careful what you say about this gov't. This gov't. is not like the one you have gotten used to. Abusing the PPP and Jagdeo was constitutional and legal. Not the case with this government.

You can also get banned from posting here.

Yeah! A whole lot of soup drinkers on this forum whose souls have been sold.

Billy Ram Balgobin
Danyael posted:

It is a terrible headline. She was possibly racist and threatening to the president in a poor turn of phrase.

And our own resident drunken Arawak would know, he knows everthing!!

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:

You are a dangerous idiot.  What do you know that Ann McLennan doesn't know?

Bibibski deh pon fiah calling me an idiot. hehehe

That Facebook post does not rise to the level of Chapter 23 of the Racial Hostility Act, which states thus: “A person shall be guilty of an offence if (he/she) willfully excites or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against any section of the public or against any person on the grounds of their or his race, by means of words spoken by him in a public place, or spoken by him and transmitted for general reception by wireless telegraphy or telegraph; or by causing words spoken by him or by some other person to be reproduced in a public place from a record; or by means of written (including printed) matter or pictorial matter published by him.”

Kari

Nah, I don't cuss them people. I don't recall commenting on Priya at all, and in fact I recoil when other talk about her appearance.

Regarding Jagdeo, I know his value to Indians and I know how he let down the COUNTRY of Guyana. Had he stayed with the bigger country rather than the narrow enclave of an ethnicity, he could have charted an economy and educational system that could take the country forward. His biggest weakness is in a lack of transformation of the economy, and especially missing the tech train. I ritique him, I do not cuss him out. Not my style. The guy is enigmatic and a good set of people (informed or not) genuinely admire him.

Kari
Dismissed: Case against woman charged with racial hostility towards Granger on Facebook
 

The case against a woman, who was charged with racial hostility and ill-will to President David Granger on Facebook, was Thursday dismissed by Chief Magistrate, Ann Mc Lennan.

The case against Bibi Safoora Salim of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo was thrown out after her lawyer convinced the court that the charge was void because the particulars of the charge did not state how her posting on Facebook violated the Racial Hostility Act.

While her posts on Facebook and WhatsApp were hostile, there were no details in the charge as it related to racial hostility towards the Guyanese leader.

She had been initially placed on GYD$200,000 bail when the case was first called in April, 2016.

Police had said that Salim had committed the offence on Facebook between March 1 and 31, 2016 and during that same period she had attempted to excite hostility and ill will to Granger by making a derogatory remark by sending to her son Mohamed Salim by cellular phone a picture with racial comments.

Kari

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