Benin: a student prosecuted before the CRIET for having impersonated a police commissioner online

A student pursuing studies in political science and international relations appeared, on Thursday, February 12, 2026, before the correctional chamber of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism.

In his early twenties, he is being prosecuted for online fraud after posing as a commissioner of the Republican Police on social networks.
According to the facts presented at the hearing and reported by Libre Express, the defendant used the identity of a real police commissioner, going so far as to present himself in uniform online, in order to deceive and swindle his victims.

This scheme would have allowed him to win the trust of several people before swindling them out of money.
At the stand, the student admitted the charges against him. He pleaded guilty and asked the Court for clemency, citing in particular his youth and his student status.

In its submissions, the public prosecutor asked for a measured application of the law, while underscoring the seriousness of the facts. He requested five years of imprisonment with a fine of one million CFA francs against the defendant.

Meanwhile, the defense lawyer pleaded clemency, urging the Court to take into account his client’s youth and to favor a rehabilitation-oriented approach. The verdict in this case is expected on Thursday, March 19, 2026.