Foreign conman arrested by the police

A fraud who wanted to defraud a pastor was apprehended by the police yesterday.

The fake UN card the conman possessed.

The police have arrested a suspected foreign conman who intended to defraud a female pastor of $1700. The suspect posed as an international charity organisation worker. “He told the pastor he worked for “Robinson Donald” charity organisation that gives financial aids to churches of the “Eglise Vivante” denomination in Africa”, said Moise Nkurunziza, the vice spokesman of the National Police.

According to the police, the conman who initially identified himself as a Gabonese called the pastor yesterday16 October. The latter met him at CEPRODLIC Hotel downtown Bujumbura. “He told her she had to give $1700 to unfreeze the money the alleged charity organisation wanted to give to her church. She became suspicious, and then she alerted the police that arrested him around 4pm”, continues Nkurunziza.

“She told me she was going to get me some food. When she came back, she was with the police”, says Omba Philippe the suspected conman who later identified himself as a Congolese.

The fraudster was arrested in possession of fake UN documents: a travel order and card, both identifying him as a UN expert security guard. He confessed to have made the items himself: “The documents are fake. I made them myself. Anyone can make them”, he told journalists.

He claimed he was on a business travel from Kampala to DRC and that he called in on the pastor just to inform her someone would send her something. “I don’t know the woman. I was on my way to Congo from Kampala. I just called in to tell her she was going to receive something from Europe”, he said. He did not specify what that someone or something was, neither did he say whose message he was conveying. Moreover, he didn’t have any travel documents except the fake travel order.

The police said the suspect is a member of a network of scammers. “His colleagues keep on calling him. They don’t know he has been arrested”, said Nkurunziza.He warned the public against trusting naively whoever comes with promises of financial helps or jobs.

The would-be victim, a pastor of the “Eglise Vivante de Rohero”, didn’t want to talk to journalists for security reasons.

The suspect considered himself as a messenger of good news who was treated ungratefully by the pastor. “Apparently pastors are merciless”, he lashed out as he was taken back to custody