Crime
Marriage scam: Sixty-five-year-old man dupes Swiss lover N87 million
A Sixty-five-year-old man, Igweneme Moses, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in Port Harcourt, for defrauding a Swiss, Chantai Helene Maedery, the sum of $240,700 (N87,094,888.00) though several criminal disguises of love and promise of marriage.
The EFCC on Tuesday, arraigned the sixty-five-year-old before Justice A. T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on a four-count bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.
Troubles started for Moses when the EFCC was petitioned by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on behalf of Switzerland Government, concerning Chantai Helene Maedery that was defrauded by a two-man syndicate comprising Moses and his daughter, Igweneme Nkiruka Blessing (now at large) through fraudulent online dating schemes.
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The petitioner alleged that the defendant “was involved in the act of fraud for commercial gain (Romance Scam) while pretending to be someone else through a dating app “Bumble.com” as of 19th February 2018 and promised to marry Chantai Maedery with the hope of building a future together in Switzerland”.
The petitioner also alleged that Moses and daughter feigned several different emergency situations and various other problems that ensnared Maedery into making a total of sixteen (16) different money transfers amounting to $240,700.
Investigations showed that the syndicate had also defrauded other foreigners through their fraudulent dating schemes.
One of the count charges read: “That you, Igweneme Moses and Igweneme Nkiruka Blessing (now at large) between the 18th and 24th May, 2018 directly took possession of the sum of $38,000 (Thirty-Eight Thousand US Dollars) which you knew or reasonably ought to have known is the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: obtaining money under false pretences from one Chantal Helene Meadery and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 15(2) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act, 2011( as amended)”.
He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Justice Mohammed ordered that the defendant’s case file be transferred to a vacation judge pending his formal bail application. He also ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody.
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