Gabriel Okori, a 39-year-old Nigerian national, was remanded in custody after appearing before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
He faces serious charges including fraud and theft, stemming from allegations that he defrauded a woman by posing as a white male on Facebook.
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The arrest occurred on Thursday in Cape Town by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, who were assisted by the law enforcement of Cape Town and a private security firm.
Details of the Allegations
The complaint arises from an online relationship that began when the victim met a man identifying himself as Mark Hermanus on Facebook. The two exchanged contact information and quickly transitioned to communicating via WhatsApp.
According to the Hawks’ spokesperson, Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, during their conversations, ‘Mark Hermanus’ fabricated a story about his son’s medical emergency, persuading the complainant to lend him significant sums of money totalling over R3 million.
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Legal Proceedings
The situation escalated as the alleged fraudster continued to pressure the woman for funds, promising to repay her once his son’s medical bills were settled.
However, claims of repayment were never fulfilled, prompting the victim to report the matter to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit. This led to Okori’s arrest, and his first court appearance has now been scheduled for October 14, furthering the legal proceedings in this alarming case of online deception.
