Nigerian faces fraud-related charges

By KARO JESSE
A NIGERIAN appeared in the Waigani Committal Court on Tuesday charged with two counts of intent to defraud the PNG Civil Identity Registry.
Kelly Omo Ope Eromosele, 46, from Opogi town, Edo state, Nigeria, appeared before Magistrate Tracey Ganai.
It is alleged that Eromosele, with intention, tried to defraud two officers of the Registrar-General of PNG Civil Identity Registry and impersonated a Lae reserve police personnel.
Between Nov 30 and Dec 18, 2018, Eromosele allegedly presented a copy of forged police reserve identity card regimental number 12578 to PNG NID marriage registration officer and death registration officer to make amendments to his marriage certificate records.
The reason was that the accused allegedly wanted to officially register his name, Eromosele, into his marriage certificate to acquire a PNG passport and driver’s licence.
It is alleged that Eromosele conspired with a police reserve community policing directorate Chief Sgt Mage Verave to produce a fake reserve identity document regimental number 12578 without the authorisation of the police commissioner.
The scam was picked up by NID project fraud and compliance officer Terrence Kross Bulingu and confirmed with the office of the commander NCD/Central police that the regimental number on the ID was registered to Sorti Purphy, a police reservist in Lae.
Eromosele was later arrested at NID Haus on Dec 23 and was taken to the Boroko CID office where he was questioned and charged.
He was later released on a police bail of K1,000, with Magistrate Ganai imposing conditions that the accused must stay in Port Moresby, avoid interfering with state witnesses and not commit another offence.