By GRACE CHAILE-LESOETSA
FIFTY-NINE members of an online business called MyZamfund Village Banking have sued a Nigerian and seven Zambians for fraudulently obtaining their money amounting to over K6 million.
Mr Davies Musonda and 58 others have cited Nigerian Prosper Sylvia Ezeokah, Rodrick Mulumbwa Musonda, Nelly Banda Zimba, Luyando Dyololo, Joseph Mwaba, Joshus Chikonko, George Chishimba and Chilufya Mulolo as defendants in the matter.
In their statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Ezeokah together with the seven Zambians created and operated the online business My Zamfund Village Banking.
The 59 who invested between K480, 000 and K5, 000 wants the Lusaka High Court to order Ezeokah and the others to pay the K6, 760, 245 which was fraudulently collected from them.
They seek an order and declaration that the defendants’ conduct to illegally collect and withhold their money was extremely deceptive, fraudulent and that it deprived them of their legitimate revenue.
Mr Musonda and others want the Court to order the eight to give a complete account of all the business transactions and money they fraudulently and dishonestly collected from them.
They want the court to order that the nine administrators open the website and whatsapp group to allow them to access their accounts.
The 59 are also seeking an order that Ezeokah and others surrender all the properties, motor vehicles, server and others gadgets which were bought through the money generated from them.
Mr Musonda and others want an order of compensation for the loss of business and earning as a result of the defendants’ fraudulent conduct.
They also want damages for fraud and misrepresentation by the defendants, an order for interest on any sums found due, an order for costs and any other relief that the Court may deem fit.
The complainants stated that Ezeokah together with the seven Zambians advertised the business concept and assured them that the said business was an extremely good online village banking business.
Mr Musonda said that the said online village banking business was based on the principles of peer to peer village banking or savings wherein links where shared through mobile phones and at the same, used to create the said peer to peer online network business.
“That each member of the group was required to deposit a certain amount of money through the aforementioned village banking group.
The said members/investors were then peered with others,”
“The defendants fraudulently misrepresented to the plaintiffs that after investing a certain amount, of money, every investor would keep on receiving returns of 50 per ent of the investment each after 20 days, which period was fraudulently increased to 25 days and later 30 days,” they said.
They claim that the eight hoodwinked them on the premise that the platform was built on religious polices and charity principles.
59 sue Nigerian, seven Zambians over online fraud
