Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Unit arrested a 55-year-old Nigerian national, Nwachimere Collins Ofoegbu, on charges of fraud, theft, and breaching the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
Image: File/Hawks
In an ongoing battle against financial crimes, the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Unit arrested a 55-year-old Nigerian national, Nwachimere Collins Ofoegbu, on charges of fraud, theft, and breaching the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
The arrest marks a significant milestone in an investigation that traces back to November 2022, when a wealthy businessman reported being duped into a fraudulent investment scheme.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramovha said investigations revealed a complex scheme that allegedly began in 2018 when the victim, lured by promises of high returns, was misled by fraudsters who impersonated high-ranking CEOs from major banks and officials from the South African Reserve Bank.
Ramovha said the scheme was conducted through calculated deception facilitated via enticing emails where the scammers managed to convince the businessman to part with large sums of US dollars, transferred to various bank accounts, including those at First National Bank (FNB) and the Bank of China. Some transactions even occurred with institutions based in London.
Ramovha said meetings related to the fraudulent activities were not only held in South Africa but also spanned locations as far as the United Arab Emirates and London.
"By 2020, when the businessman attempted to withdraw the promised interest, he was met with evasions. Seeking assistance, the victim engaged the services of a forensic company, which helped uncover the fraud. By this time, he had lost over R20 million," said Ramovha.
He said after thorough investigation, the Randburg Magistrate's Court authorised arrest warrants for two suspects on January 28, 2025.
On Monday, February 10, 2025, the investigation team received information that one of the main suspects, Ofoegbu, had been arrested by Sandton Visible Policing members.
"Ofoegbu's two palatial residential addresses at Waterfall Estate and Waterfall Village were visited and the properties are believed to be proceeds of crime. The investigation has so far linked the accused to a transaction of R1.2 million received from the victim," he said.
Ofoegbu appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday where the case was transferred to Wynberg Magistrate's Court.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in court on February 18 for a formal bail application.
"The team is actively pursuing the second suspect, who remains at large," said Ramovha.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
IOL News
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