The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has sentenced a 52-year-old man to an effective three years in prison after he defrauded two victims of more than R6 million through fake dating-site profiles.

Pius Emokpe was sentenced on Wednesday 28 October after entering into a plea agreement with the state, Hawks spokesperson Lt Col Siyabulela Vukubi said.

Sentence

Emokpe was convicted and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for fraud, of which seven years were suspended, and three years’ imprisonment for money laundering. Charges relating to the contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act were withdrawn.

The four and a half years Emokpe had already spent in custody were taken into consideration during sentencing. He will effectively serve three years’ imprisonment, Vukubi said.

Modus operandi

Between June 2021 and February 2022, Emokpe used fake profiles on dating sites to solicit a total of R6 035 500 from two victims, Vukubi said.

He defrauded the victims by asking for financial assistance, assuring them that he would repay their money from false projects. However, the accused failed to repay the debts.

Five further cases

Vukubi said when Emokpe was arrested in May 2022, it was established that he was also wanted in five other cases investigated by the police’s Western Cape Provincial Commercial Crime Unit, with a financial loss of R779 500.

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