The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, arraigned four Chinese and one Nigerian before Justice Aliyu Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Abuja for alleged hotel review scam.
They were arraigned on a three -count charge of conspiracy, cheating and impersonation.
Count one reads: “That you, Liu Zhiwei, Chen Ye Qui, Zhang Xiao Wen, Lan Shun Bin and Nwakama Chinyere Ogbonna (a.k.a Haron Koshear), sometime in December, 2024 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court did agree among yourself to do illegal act to; cheating when you used the fictitious picture of Haron Koshear and sent chats to unsuspecting members of the public via Telegram Account to promote the services or ratings of Hotels in London as five star Hotels in return for payment of $5, when you knew that the said hotels are not five-star hotels and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 (1) (a) of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 97 (1)(2) of the same Act.”
Count two reads: “That you, Nwakama Ogbonna (a.k.a Haron Koshear) sometime in December, 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourself as Haron Koshear, a Customer Service Representative with Venus Spark Impact Media, Na`aka Hub Plaza Gudu, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory and in that assumed character aided the management of Venus Spark Impact Media, Na`aka Hub Plaza, Gudu, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory to promote the services of rating of Nox Edgware Road as five-star hotel in return for payment of $5, when you knew that the said hotel is not five- star hotel and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 324 of the same Act.
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The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
Prosecution counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed, in view of their pleas, prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and remand the defendants in prison custody.
However, defense counsel, Yahaya Dangana, SAN, told the court of the application for bail of his clients.
After listening to both counsels, Justice Halilu adjourned the matter till March 27, 2025, for hearing of bail applications and ordered that Liu Zhiwei, Chen ye qui, Zhang Xiao Wen, Lan Shun Bin be remanded in Kuje prison while Nwakama Ogbonna be remanded in Suleja prison.
The suspects were among the 105 suspects arrested by the operatives of the EFCC on January 9, 2025, in a business apartment in the Gudu axis of Abuja, for their alleged involvement in hotel review job scam targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world.
