A cybercrime suspect has been arraigned before Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos.
The suspect, Leeroy Egebe, popularly known as Amedeo Dante William, was arraigned on an 8-count charge bearing on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of $18,023.96.
Egebe’s troubles began when one Vivian Varotto-Guigoz, a citizen of Switzerland, petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged money scam by the defendant.
Varotto-Guigoz, who said she met Leeroy Egebe on a dating site, alleged that the suspect fraudulently collected $18,023.96 from her under false pretence.
The defendant, according to the complainant, claimed to be an Italian living in the United Kingdom, when they met on the social dating site, Badoo.
The court heard that both the complainant (Varotto-Guigoz) and the defendant (Egebe) became lovers, exchanging emotions and later cash.
Varotto-Guigoz alleged that on several occasions, between May 12 and October 14, 2015, she “wired a total sum of CHF 196,701,44 and EUR 15, 957.43 to different individuals.”
She said the individuals to whom the payments were made were in the United Kingdom, Canada and Nigeria.
The complainant said she made the payments to the different individuals on the request of the defendant for sundry reasons, which she later discovered to be fraudulent.
She said the payments were made in five instalments.
She stated that “two payments were made into British accounts belonging to Amedeo William Dante and Dittimi Tamara-Finide, while three were made into Nigerian accounts belonging to Alhassan Davide and Edin Obaro.”
The petitioner also alleged that the defendant was reaching her through some English, Canadian and Nigerian telephone numbers.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In view of his pleas, the prosecution counsel, M. T. Iko, asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
However, counsel to the defendant, K. D Alufe, made an oral application for bail for his client.
He argued that the alleged offences were bailable and that the defendant did not jump an earlier administrative bail by the prosecution.
In his ruling, Justice Obile granted the defendant bail in the sum of three million naira (N3, 000,000.00) and one surety in like sum.
The surety, he said, must be a public servant in the service of the Federal or State Government on grade level 12 and above.
The defendant and the surety must depose to an affidavit of means, among other conditions.
Obile ordered the defendant to be remanded in Kirikiri Prison, pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to May 10, 2018 for trial.