Community orders for pair who spent elderly Islander’s life savings

Victor Muhazi (46) and Fortune Ogege (39) were given 12-month community orders by an English court after pleading guilty to money laundering.

The pair, who have no previous convictions, are now facing a proceeds of crime hearing as authorities work to return the woman’s cash.

Manchester Crown Court heard that the email account of the Jersey woman was hacked into by an unknown criminal who has never been traced, and two fraudulent requests were sent to her Liechtenstein bank account.

The first requested a transfer of more than £52,000 to Muhazi’ account, while the second requested more than £22,000 to be deposited in Ogege’s account.

Neither of the two defendants took the money from the woman, but went on to spend it after it was transferred into their accounts.

Greater Manchester Police said that Muhazi and Ogege had withdrawn all of the victim’s money ‘within days’, leaving her ‘distraught’ and in ’emotional and financial torment’.

Prosecutors said that Muhazi, from the Eccles district of Manchester, and Ogege, from Salford, were not aware where the money had come from and had been approached by a person who asked for the use of their bank accounts.

Sentencing the pair, judge Recorder Rowena Goode said: ‘You did so believing it was for honest purposes.

‘What you each then realised was that what you were dealing with was the proceeds of criminal conduct of some sorts.

‘You continued however to withdraw and transfer money.’

Alongside their community orders, Muhazi must complete 240 hours of unpaid work and Ogege must complete 180 hours.

Detective Constable Jonathan Roman, of Greater Manchester Police’s fraud investigation team, said: ‘This woman has suffered two years of emotional and financial torment.

‘Through no fault of her own, her email account was hacked into and consequently her details were used to transfer more than £70,000 of her life savings into the accounts of Muhazi and Ogege.

‘This pair then couldn’t withdraw the money quick enough.

‘You can only imagine how distraught the victim was to find her life savings has been stolen in this way and she is still tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket.’

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