Authorities in Kenya and Ghana are examining reports that a Russian man covertly filmed sexual encounters with women in the two African nations, then shared the footage online without their consent.
African and Russian media identified the suspect as a self-styled “pick-up artist” and online blogger in his 30s.
The reports claimed the man used a pair of sunglasses, fitted with a camera, to film some encounters and circulated them on social media, though officials have not confirmed this detail.
Ghana said it intends to request that the man be extradited from Russia, while Kenya’s government says it is pursuing the case “with urgency”.
News reports allege that the suspect had travelled to Ghana to secretly film his interactions with women.
An initial investigation has established that the suspect has likely left the country, Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection said.
It added that the man’s departure would “not reduce the seriousness of the alleged conduct or the state’s responsibility to pursue accountability”.
Ghanaian Technology Minister Sam George said he had asked the Russian ambassador in the capital, Accra, for Moscow’s cooperation in getting justice for the victims.
However, Russia does not extradite its citizens, except in extreme circumstances.
On Monday, Russia’s embassy in Ghana said it had “taken note” of the reports, but did not state whether the Russian authorities would co-operate with Accra’s investigation.
George told BBC News that he had invited the Russian ambassador to discuss the alleged incident.
Earlier, the minister told reporters: “That gentleman will be looked for, we will activate every resource in our disposal working with Interpol.
“We will request the Russian authorities – and that is why I have invited the Russian ambassador – to work with our law enforcement.
“We want the gentleman to be brought back to Ghana, extradited to Ghana for him to face the rigours of our law.”
George said they would try the suspect in absentia if he failed to return to Ghana.
The same man has been accused of committing similar illegal acts in Kenya.
Hanna Cheptumo, Kenya’s minister of gender, culture and children services, described the incident as a “serious” case of gender-based violence.
In a statement on Monday, Cheptumo added: “Relevant security, investigative and prosecutorial agencies have been directed to pursue the matter with urgency, including collaboration with international authorities given the cross-border nature of the case.”
Under Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018, anyone who publishes intimate images of another person, with or without their consent, faces up to two years in prison.
Ghana also introduced new laws under the Cybersecurity Act 2020 to punish those who share nude photos or videos online, especially of women and children, often for revenge or blackmail. Perpetrators face up to 25 years in jail.
Authorities in Ghana have been paying increasing attention to online abuse, including sexual extortion and romance scams.
There has been an increase in arrests in recent years for these offences.
In 2022, a court sentenced a 22-year-old phone repairer, Solomon Doga, to 14 years in prison for sharing nude images of a Lebanese woman.
He pleaded guilty to sexual extortion and non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
Correction – 15 February: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Ghana had requested the extradition of a Russian suspect. A formal request has not been made yet, but the Ghanaian government says it intends to make one.
Source: bbc africa
