Monrovia – The Monrovia City Court has incarcerated three women at the Monrovia Central Prison for allegedly sharing the naked video of a friend via social media.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh,
Defendants Rolex Gbala, Helen Benson and Blessing Doe were sent to jail on Thursday, February 28, for posting a video recording of
The defendants were arrested on February 19, 2019 and charged with the crimes of Felonious Restraint, Simple Assault and Disorderly conduct, which are violations of the Penal Law of Liberia.
According to the police charge sheet, defendant Rolex Gbala along with her accomplices Helen Benson and Blessing Doe connived to use physical force against the victim (Shakolo Konto) for being the one using a fake Facebook Account to insult their husbands.
“During the course of police investigation, detail inquiries revealed that the victim (Shakolo Conto) and the herein defendants were friends, but in recent times, the defendants started suspecting her of opening a fake Facebook account under the names “ Martha Doe” and “ Martha Happy” making all kinds of statements against their husbands which did not go down well with them,” Excerpt of the Police charge sheet reads.
Even though the police charge sheet did not mention how the defendants tracked the fake accounts, information gathered by this paper established that the defendants reported the fake accounts to Facebook, and in return received a telephone number, and through the traced of the number they established that it was the victim.
The police investigation also established that the defendants conspired under pretense and persuaded the victim from her home through a telephone call to an unknown area, stripped her naked and physically assaulted her.
“On February 17, 2019 at about 17:30hrs, defendant Rolex Gbala placed a called to Shakolo Konto, while she was at home, putting her under the pretence that she (Rolex Gbala) want to meet with her so that they can meet her (Victim) sister to settle a dispute she (Rolex) had with her (Shakolo) sister. After she (Rolex) and co-defendants Helen Benson and Blessing Doe connived to use physical force against victim Konto for being the one behind the fake Facebook account on the social media that always insulting their husbands”.
According to the police investigation, when the victim arrived at the junction, entered the car with Rolex, defendant Helen and Blessing who disembarked the vehicle, locked the door and seized the victim’s phone, stating to her that they have discovered that she was the owner of the fake accounts on Facebook that was constantly insulting their husbands.
“They took the victim towards an unpaved road leading behind Wasusu Night Club in Brewerville. In the process, co-defendant Helen Benson started video recording her colleague (Shakolo Konto) while they were tearing all the victim’s clothes and began assaulting her until a pastor within the community who was passing by heard the noise and pleaded with them not to take the law into their own hands.”
The charge sheet adds: “The victim wrapped her torn clothes around her and they (defendants) dropped her back to her house junction and left. A few hours later, the video clip was posted all over the social media, thus putting the victim under an embarrassing situation”.
Sharing of nude images on social media, particularly Facebook is gradually becoming commonplace in the country.
On October 22, 2018, the Liberia National Police (LNP) charged four students of the United Methodist University (UMU) with the crime of dissemination of obscene material after they shared the naked video of a friend on social media.
In relation to the matter, on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, the administration of the UMU expelled the four students including the victim.
Back in 2017, Mohammed Sambolah, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning was arrested and incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison for allegedly posting a sex video in a Facebook Chatroom.
He was also charged with the crime of disseminating obscene material and terroristic threat the lady.