The case in which journalist Daniel Kenosi is facing cyber crime charges of “unlawful distribution of obscene material” was this week put on hold after the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) indicated that it wants to seek expert assistance from overseas.
The Telegraph can reveal that Kenosi appeared before Village Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe last week Friday, where DPP prosecutor Thato Dibeela requested for more time as the state wanted to seek expert assistance “from some organizations in America”.
The Magistrate then set August 18 as the date for Kenosi’s next court appearance. Kenosi will continue to report at the CID offices every Wednesday but has now been allowed to travel outside the country on condition that he informs the police before leaving. It is not clear which organizations in the USA the DPP wants to engage but the suspicion is that they are trying to get help from social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter which Kenosi allegedly used to distribute the obscene material.
Kenosi was arrested and detained for two weeks in March this year for unlawful distribution of obscene material contrary to section 16 (2) (a) of Cybercrime and Related Crimes Act Cap 08:06. The particulars of the offence are that between January 6th, 2015 and March 12th, 2015 in Gaborone, Kenosi distributed obscene material to the public through a computer system. Kenosi is the publisher of a tabloid newspaper, The Paparazzi, which started distribution last week and has a large following on Facebook.
