Baby Skello Granted Bail Over Controversial Song; AFC Calls for Repeal of Blasphemy Law
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
Daniel Wharton, also known as Baby Skello, was on Tuesday morning granted bail for $45,000 by a High Court judge following his recent remand to prison over a song deemed blasphemous towards a Hindu goddess.
The unopposed bail application was presented by attorneys-at-law Dr. Dexter Todd and Everton Singh-Lammy before Justice Sandil Kissoon. Wharton had previously appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman, who denied bail and ordered his remand.
Speaking with Nightly News, Dr. Todd explained that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) raised no objections, and no special conditions were attached to the bail.
“The Honourable Judge agreed with our application, and since the DPP had no objection, bail was granted unopposed,” Dr. Todd confirmed.
The case stems from public outrage over a song by Baby Skello, which many viewed as offensive to the Hindu faith. The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which had initially announced plans to pursue legal avenues regarding the incident, issued a statement Monday clarifying that it played no role in Wharton’s prosecution or remand.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Change (AFC) has seized the opportunity to renew its calls for the repeal of Guyana’s blasphemy laws. In a statement, the party described the charge as archaic and incompatible with modern constitutional rights and international obligations.
“This colonial-era law stands in direct contradiction of Article 146 of the Constitution and violates Guyana’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the AFC said.
The matter has sparked debate across social, legal, and religious lines, with civil society groups calling for greater clarity on the limits of free expression in a multi-religious society.
