Two Nigerians, local woman charged with cheating US citizen

IPOH: Two Nigerian male students and a local woman pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday to a charge of cheating a United States citizen, involving losses of more than RM60,000, in December, last year.

Eze Chimizie Kingsley, 30, and Anayo Apakabi, 28, students of a private institution of higher learning (IPTS) in Kuala Lumpur and Mazni Marzuki, 46, a hotel housekeeping staff, claimed trial after the charge against them was read out before Magistrate Nurul Hafizah Mohammad Fauzi.

All three were jointly charged with cheating Law Ah Fook, from Ipoh, into believing that he would receive a non-existent package that prompted him to hand over cash amounting to RM62,034.

They allegedly committed the offence at No. 13, Jalan 4, Housing Trust here, at 12.16pm, on Dec 13, 2017.

All were charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Act, which carries maximum imprisonment of 10 years and whipping (for men) and also liable to a fine, upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Fadhli Nurul Qistini Qamar L Abrar appeared for the prosecution while Kingsley and Apakabi were represented by counsel Miza Hiryani Zakaria and Mazni by counsel Matthews Jude.

Nurul Hafizah then allowed RM4,000 bail with one surety for Mazni while the two Nigerian men were not allowed bail.

Meanwhile, Kingsley and Apakabi were also charged in the same court with overstaying in the country after their students’ passes expired on May 20, 2016 and June 3, 2017 respectively. Bernama