Benin: artist accused of fraud by former mistress appears before the Criet
The Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) heard a case on Thursday, March 13, 2025, involving online fraud allegations against a man accused of extorting money from a woman with whom he had a romantic relationship.
Rubrique société
Ph: BWT
The events took place in Abomey, where the complainant, who identifies herself as his former partner, is seeking the reimbursement of 40 million CFA francs.
In court, the accused, who described himself as a singer and artist, denied all allegations. According to his version, he met the complainant after the release of his album in 2016 and 2017, during which time she allegedly declared her love for him.
The complainant, for her part, claims she was manipulated for eight years. She accuses the defendant of presenting himself as a visionary in order to influence her and extract money. The defendant firmly denies this account.
While the alleged victim claims to have been defrauded of 40 million CFA francs, financial records reviewed by the prosecution show a significantly lower amount—estimated at 11 million CFA francs.
The Court has postponed the case to April 24, 2025, in order to further investigate and gather more evidence before issuing a ruling.