The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, arraigned the operator
of McHarvey Capital Limited, Benjamin Okenna Ikaa and two others: Chidera
Jonas and Ikaa Ejike Benjamin before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High
Court, Maitama, Abuja.
The trio are facing
four-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence and money laundering in a crypto-currency investment fraud to the tune of $1,621,352,
(One Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-0ne Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty-Two
United States Dollars).
One of the charges reads:
“That you Benjamin Okenna Ikaa (alias George; Gavrilovich; P.Aleksandra and
Aaron Griffin), Chidera Jonas (at large) and Ikaa Ejike Benjamin (at large) on
or about 20th December 2022 at Ugbowa, Abakpa Nike, Enugu, Enugu State within
the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, did send
electronic messages which materially misrepresent facts in your website
www.mcharveycapital.com about crypto currency investment to one Monica Garcia
upon which she relied and suffered financial loss in the sum of $1,501, 352, 00
(One Million, Five Hundred and One Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty-Two United
States Dollars) and thereby committed an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 14(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention etc.)
Act 2015.”
Ikaa, being the only
defendant in court pleaded not guilty to the charges, when they were read to
him. Thereafter, prosecution counsel Bamidele Akanmode asked for a trial
date, and requested that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody,
pending the striking of a plea deal with him, while the defence counsel, Adachi
Abel, prayed for a short adjournment time.
Justice Nwite remanded the
defendant in Kuje Correctional Centre, and adjourned the matter till December
13, 2023.
The three defendants,
Benjamin Ikaa, Chidera Jonas and Ikaa Benjamin defrauded their unsuspecting
victims by promising them mouth-watering daily returns in crypto-currency
investment on social media platforms.
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