Three people charged with cheating widow of K5,000

By ZACHERY PER
TWO men and a woman were yesterday charged in the Goroka Committal Court with cheating a widow of K5,000.
Ben Pepi, 37, from Musau Island in Kavieng, New Ireland, is alleged to have conspired with University of Goroka (UOG) security guard Danny Mathew, 34, from Kamano 2 in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands and Monica Andy, 40, from Kokoraipa village in Lufa to cheat the widow, Patricia Kiruhia, of K5, 000.
Pepi and Mathew appeared before the Goroka District Court senior Magistrate Josephine Nindue who adjourned the hearing to June 4.
According to the charge sheet, Pepi in early April approached Mathew and told him of his plan to defraud Kiruhia whom he assisted to open an account with MiBank.
He told Mathew that he helped to deposit a huge sum of money from her late husband Dr John Kiruhia’s final payout.
Pepi advised Mathew to look for a young lady with light-skin, stocky built and short who looks exactly like Kiruhia and bring her to him (Pepi) so he can explain to her what to do.
Mathew then brought Andy to Pepi and she was directed on what to do and helped her to forge Kiruhia’s signature.
They went to MiBank on April 9 at around 2.45pm when the bank was about to close.
The bank staff asked Andy to remove her face mask and her scarf for proper identification with the face in the computer.
Pepi interfered and told the bank that she had scars and bruises on her face because she had a fight in the village with some of her family members.
A week later, Kiruhia discovered that K5,000 went missing in her account.
She immediately asked the account to be frozen and asked for an investigation at about 11.45am on April 15.
As the discussions between MiBank staff in Kundiawa and Goroka were in progress, Pepi appeared in the bank with a woman with a signed withdrawal slip.
The bank staff suspected that the two were attempting to steal money from the account and asked the women, disguising as Kiruhia, to be identified properly.
The women admitted that she was not the owner of the account and was forced by Pepi to pretend to be Kiruhia so she will be given half of the money.
Pepi is facing charges of conspiracy, forgery, uttering and stealing and co-accused Andy and Mathew are facing conspiracy charges.