The EFCC has arraigned one Oluo Hope before Justice B. B. Aliyu of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a six-count charge bordering on forgery and Impersonation.
Hope was arrested alongside five others suspected to be internet fraudsters on 19 April, 2017 by the operatives of the Department of State Service at Darethery Hotels, Rumuigbo Village, Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to him. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Adebayo Soares, asked for a date to commence trial and prayed the court to order for an accelerated hearing. However, counsel to the defendant, B. N. Amanze (Mrs.), told the court that she had filed an application for bail for her client
She said the alleged offences were bailable and that the defendant had earlier been placed on administrative bail by the prosecution and urged the court to grant her prayers. Soares, however, opposed her prayers saying the application was served on him shortly and he needed time to respond.
In her ruling, Justice Aliyu admitted Hope to bail and trial has commenced on the matter.
The suspects ran into trouble when they were arrested, sequel to a complaint by the Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Tonye Briggs. She alleged that unidentified persons impersonated her by cloning her facebook account and used same to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. The EFCC swung into actions in collaboration with tje DSS, arrested fraudsters suspected to be involved in the scam. Items recovered from the scammers include phones, laptops and other fraudulent documents.
Meanwhile, five other fraudsters arrested with Hope have been charged separately.
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