Musyani, Nyirenda say not guilty of cyber harassment
By Esther Chisola
JAILED social media influencer Elias Musyani and his co-accused Steven Nyirenda last week appeared in a Lusaka magistrates court and pleaded not guilty to four counts of harassment utilising means of electronic communication and obscene matters or things.
When the matter came up for plea before magistrate Idah Phiri, a State prosecutor informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had granted authority to prosecute Musyani and Nyirenda.
Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Allegations in the first count are that Nyirenda, between February 7 and March 24, 2025, had in their possession obscene photographs tending to corrupt morals.
In count two, it is alleged that the two used a computer system on a Facebook page called High Profile Official where they initiated a post with Lucy Shawa’s face with the words “she is trying to break my home and I have an STI”.
In the third count, between the same dates, Steven Nyirenda initiated communication to cause emotional distress to Rebecca Mutinta Chimuka on a Facebook posting with her face and it read “this is my husband’s side and am going through a lot because of her and am pregnant, I want to expose this hule”.
And in the last count, it is alleged that Musyaniu and Nyirenda, between the same dates, jointly and whilst acting together, using a computer system, intentionally did initiate an electronic communication on a Facebook page called High Profile Official with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass or cause emotional distress to Lucy Shawa with a posting on the said Facebook page with Lucy Shawa’s face to it and wrote, “She never leave my husband alone saying she is dating my husband and trying to break my home, last month I had an STI, I went through my husband phone and I found messages from her to my husband talking about it.”
The case comes up on August 7 for mention and September 4 and September 25 for trial.
