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A sixth player in a romance fraud, in which an elderly woman was swindled out of some €58,000, was remanded in custody upon his arraignment on Friday.
Nigerian-born Tabi Ovi, 36, living at Swieqi and working as a taxi driver, was escorted to court and charged with having money-laundering linked to a scam through which the victim was lured into a virtual relationship with a US soldier stationed in Afghanistan.
The man pleaded not guilty to money laundering as well as knowingly receiving property obtained through crime.
The man’s lawyer, Rachel Tua, did not request bail at the arraignment stage.
The court, presided over by magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo, issued an attachment order over all the accused’s monies and property, movable and immovable, except for an annual allowance of €13,976.
One of Malta’s most prolific Nigerian footballing imports, Sunday Eboh, has been charged with four others in a romance fraud case.
Eboh, Maltese national Alexandra Pace, Nigerian nationals Collins Eguavoen, Marvis Iyeke and Tony Ogbonna were arrested late Monday night to be charged with money laundering.
Police said that an elderly Maltese woman fell victim to the fraud after engaging in an online relationship with who she thought was an American soldier deployed in Afghanistan. The soldier was supposedly returning to Malta once his deployment ended.
Despite never meeting with the soldier, the woman took the relationship seriously, and transferred €58,000 to the person who allegedly asked her to pay for his expenses.
Victim paid €58,000 to online suitor posing as American soldier passing through Malta, four Nigerians and one Maltese charged with money laundering