Guyanese artiste Daniel Wharton, popularly known as “Baby Skello,” was granted bail in the sum of $45,000 by High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall on Tuesday morning. This decision comes just days after Wharton was charged with blasphemous libel related to a song he performed and shared on TikTok, which allegedly referenced the Hindu goddess, Mother Lakshmi.
Under Guyanese law, blasphemous libel pertains to expressions that insult or offend a religious deity, and a conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to one year.
Wharton first appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman last Friday, where he was denied bail and remanded to prison. After spending the weekend in custody, his legal team—comprising attorneys Dexter Todd and Everton Lammy-Singh—petitioned the High Court for bail on Monday.
Following the defense’s submissions, Judge Morris-Ramlall approved the request for bail, allowing Wharton to be released.
Prior to being formally charged, Wharton had been the subject of a wanted bulletin issued by the police. He subsequently surrendered and was held in custody for three days during the initial investigation.
In light of the public backlash regarding the song’s content, Wharton issued a public apology and removed the track from his TikTok account. He was also summoned to appear before the Ethnic Relations Commission but did not attend the scheduled hearing.
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