Cybercrime: a Beninese man sentenced to 50 months in prison by the CRIET

The defendant was sentenced to fifty months in prison and fined 150 million CFA francs, according to information reported by Libre Express.

The decision was handed down on Monday, October 20, 2025, by the criminal chamber sitting in first instance. The man was charged with internet fraud and money laundering.

According to the file, the convicted man allegedly obtained more than 50 million CFA francs from a French citizen through a fake business relationship. Exchanges between the two men reportedly lasted several years before the defendant faked his own death to avoid any claims.

Arrested in November 2024 and placed in pretrial detention on the order of CRIET’s special prosecutor, K.D.P. denied the charges on the stand.

The Court also ordered the confiscation of a vehicle found during his arrest and reserved the victim’s civil claims, represented by his lawyer, who is demanding repayment of the 53 million CFA francs taken.

This verdict once again illustrates CRIET’s tough stance against cybercrime offences, a scourge that is constantly evolving in Benin.