The teenaged girl, who police said staged her own kidnapping, was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $120,000 after appearing before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
For legal reasons, the public was excluded from the proceedings in relation to the 17-year-old, who is a minor.
The young woman was arraigned for charges of improper use of a public telecommunication system and giving false information to the police.
The charges respectively state that between June 23 and June 25, at Georgetown, the defendant sent by means of a public telecommunication system, for the purpose of causing needless anxiety to another, messages which she knew were false.
Meanwhile, on June 25, at Georgetown also, the young woman is alleged to have given to Inspector Dexter Thornton information in writing which she knew to be false, intending thereby to cause or knowing it likely to cause the said Inspector to use his lawful power to the injury or annoyance of other persons. The teenager denied both charges when they were read to her at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Additionally, the young woman was accused of demanding money with menace. This charge was however dismissed as the virtual complainant (VC) declined to offer evidence against her. The VC here was ordered to pay court costs in the sum of $50,000.
The accused, who is being represented by attorney Kim Kyte-John, was admitted to bail in the sum of $60,000 for each of the charges levelled against her.
Her matter was transferred to Court Two for September 5.
The teen, who was feared kidnapped after relatives received ransom demands via text messages, was found in a Festival City house early Saturday morning and was taken into police custody after allegedly admitting she staged her disappearance.
Police in a statement said that the young woman was found around 2:15 am by members of the Joint Services after a search at a house at Festival City, Georgetown.
The girl’s family initially reported to police that she had left her home at about 9:30 am last Wednesday to attend computer classes at Middle Street, Georgetown and had not returned. Subsequently, a relative had received a text message demanding a ransom of $300,000 for her safe return.
