Nigerian national, Gabriel Okori, has appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court facing charges of fraud and theft.

IOL reported in November that Okori was released on bail when he appeared in court for allegedly stealing around R3 million from an online lover.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, said Okori appeared before the Pretoria court on Thursday after he was arrested in Cape Town in October.

Gauteng spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela told IOL that the case against Okori was postponed to Monday next week for allocation of a prosecutor.

Previously, Mavimbela said Okori was released by the court on R5,000 bail.

Okori was arrested last year by the Hawks, assisted by City of Cape Town’s law enforcement and a private security company.

The Hawks in Gauteng said Okori allegedly scammed a woman who he had met online. The woman, whose identity is withheld to protect her from victimisation, believed she was involved with a white man named “Mark Hermanus”.

“The complainant in the matter alleges that she met what she thought was a white male on Facebook by the name of Mark Hermanus, the two exchanged cellphone numbers and began chatting on instant messaging (WhatsApp),” said Mavimbela.

“While the pair were getting to know each other, ‘Mark Hermanus’ informed the complainant that his son was sick and asked the complainant to lend him money for his son’s medical bills.”

The Hawks said the woman kept giving “Mark Hermanus” money, and the bill escalated to over R3 million.

The man promised that he would pay her back, once he had paid all his son’s medical bills. However, he never paid back the money.

“The matter was reported to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation (unit) which led to the arrest of the suspect who was traced and identified as Gabriel Okori, a Nigerian national in Cape Town on October 3,” said Mavimbela.

Okori made his first appearance before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday last week, and a second court appearance on Monday this week.

IOL has been running the scammed series, where numerous South African women have now joined hands, speaking out against the rampant romance scams.

The women who are often breadwinners in their households, are left destitute, emotionally traumatised with some women reportedly committing suicide after being scammed.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL