LATOYA Chu, a 29-year-old firefighter, appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to answer seven cybercrime charges.
Chu, a mother of three children – ages nine, eight, and one, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stemmed from alleged incidents between February 23 and February 26, 2024. She was granted bail totaling $350,000, and had no legal representation.

The charges accused Chu of using a computer system to spread false information that damaged the reputations of several high-ranking officials within the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), including Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dwayne Scotland, four female firefighters, and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

According to the police prosecutor, Chu allegedly used a fake Facebook account to post derogatory remarks targeting the virtual complainants.
The posts were eventually brought to the attention of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, leading to an investigation and Chu’s subsequent arrest.

Upon her arrest, Chu’s mobile phone was seized, and an examination of the device allegedly revealed that she was responsible for creating the fake profile from which the posts originated.

The prosecutor further noted that when questioned about the allegations, Chu chose to remain silent. The prosecutor did not object to bail and Chu, who resides in Diamond Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara, was ordered to post $50,000 bail for each of the seven charges, amounting to $350,000. Her next court date is set for November 18, 2024.