Former junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson charged for cyberbullying

Opposition Member of Parliament and former APNU+AFC Minister Annette Ferguson was today charged for cyberbullying a senior member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Omar Khan.

She appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court today before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly where she pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on self-bail.

It is alleged that on June 15, she used a computer system to humiliate or harass a person.

Ferguson is expected to return to court on July 26.

Ferguson was arrested on June 30 by ranks of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters at Eve Leary after a report in relation to a cybercrime allegation was filed against her.

On Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised the Police to charge Ferguson under section 195(5)(a) of the Cybercrime Act No. 16 of 2018, which deals with using a computer system to humiliate a person.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), in a statement, had explained that: “The [complainant] is a senior member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who made the allegation against Ms Ferguson in relation to a Facebook social media post which falsely alleged that the said senior GDF rank will be in charge of a killing squad.”