NBI entrapment nabs two brothers for conning Globe in cellphone deal

The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday arrested two siblings in an entrapment inside a mall after receiving their third cellular phone from a telecommunications company that they allegedly defrauded with fake documents.

The suspects were Joven Emit, 26, and his brother Johnny, 24, who posed as businessmen in applying twice this month for a post-paid P3500 Globe plan that carried free cellular phone unit.

They were arrested at 1:30pm yesterday inside the Globe office at the third floor of Elizabeth Mall after receiving their third N70 cell phone in an entrapment by NBI agents.

Globe legal counsel Manuel Gordon said the Emit brothers already defrauded the company twice, the first of which was when they had their Globe plan application approved at the Ayala Center outlet last December 13. They got their free N70 phone then.

A few days later, the Emit brothers applied for the same plan at the Globe outlet in SM City Mall, succeeded and got the free N70 phone again.

Gordon said it was the time that Globe noticed that the supporting documents, used by the Emit brothers in their applications, were suspicious prompting the firm officers to check these with the Cebu City Hall and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Gordon said the business permits were found fake, prompting Globe to seek for help from the NBI, which in turn conducted the entrapment at the firm's outlet at Elizabeth Mall where they applied for the third time a similar plan.

The two brothers were collared right after the third free N70 cell phone, which Gordon said was worth at least P20,000.

The Emit brothers reportedly admitted having engaged in the illegal activity because of financial problems and debts they incurred after their father underwent medical operation at a private hospital in the city. They said the first two phones they got from Globe were already sold.

NBI regional director Medardo De Lemos said the two brothers would be charged with three counts of estafa through falsification of public documents.

Nanneth Sungahid, who works at the city mayor's office, said the city would also indict the two for falsification of public documents.

The DTI is also expected to file similar criminal charges against the brothers, who are already detained at the NBI headquarters. - Fred P. Languido/RAE