A 29-year-old female member of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Latoya Chu, was granted bail in the amount of $350,000 when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday to face seven counts of cybercrime.
Residing at Lot 2818 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, Chu is accused of utilizing a computer system to disseminate false information, thereby damaging the reputations of Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dwayne Scotland, four firewomen, and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
The alleged offenses reportedly occurred between February 23 and February 26, 2024, in Georgetown.During the hearing, Chu appeared without legal representation before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The prosecution presented its case, detailing that Chu allegedly created a fraudulent Facebook account to publish defamatory comments about the complainants. Following the discovery of the posts, a report was filed with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which subsequently led to her arrest.
Following her apprehension, law enforcement officials confiscated Chu’s mobile phone. A search revealed that she had indeed created the fake Facebook profile used to post the defamatory content. When questioned about the allegations, Chu chose to remain silent.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the prosecutor did not object to bail, which was set at $350,000, equating to $50,000 for each count. Chu is scheduled to return to court on November 18 for the submission of statements.
