Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo, the sisters named “Canadian Kardashians” who were arrested for blackmailing randy Nigerian billionaires, have said their stained reputation can never be cleared.
They also deny having anything to do with controversial website NaijaGistLive.
The sisters were accused of running the website where threats to expose the dirty secrets of the billionaires were regularly published — and sometimes buried, in exchange for money.
They were arrested and arraigned before a Yaba magistrate court, Lagos, in December 2016.
TheCable Lifestyle had reported that the sisters were forced to sign a prepared undertaking promising not to engage in blackmail and cyber bullying again.
Afterwards, they were allowed to quietly return to Canada.
But in an interview with CTV Toronto, the sisters said they were not responsible for the posts on the website.
They said they agreed to read the undertaking in order to have their passports returned.
The sisters insist they were scapegoats in an attempt to cover-up a national embarrassment.
“It was pretty much being forced, otherwise you’re going to be thrown into a maximum security prison for God knows how long.
“We just decided to speak because everyone thinks we’re missing or dead or worse,” Jyoti said.
“I think just dating someone in the oil and gas sector you get more opportunities to travel a bit more, you get to do things maybe you wouldn’t have done.
“The way the media reported it, they called us sex workers, prostitutes…I’ve never done anything like that. I’ve never blackmailed anyone, never extorted anyone. I think the stain on our reputation will never be cleared.”
Rachel Eta Brown, an immigration lawyer, told CTV that the sisters can’t be extradited to answer to the blackmail charges because there’s no existing treaty to that effect between Canada and Nigeria.