THE Bods at the One Laptop Per Child charity might be forgiven for thinking that the Nigerian legal system has shown itself to be an enforcement arm of the 419 fraudsters.

In August a United States-based Nigerian company LANCOR made a claim that the OLPC charity was using a laptop it invented. It did not provide any evidence, it just demanded $20 million to go away.

When OLPC told the outfit to go forth and multiply, LANCOR sued the charity for $20 million in damages in a Nigerian court. It asked the court for an injunction preventing the charity from distributing its laptops to Nigeria's kiddies, unless OLPC paid up.

According to Groklaw, to make sure that the injunction went through, LANCOR made sure that the judges did not hear any evidence from an opposition to its case. It did this by not telling anyone that the hearing was going ahead.

With neither the OLPC or its codependents being present, LANCOR managed to get its injunction.

Others listed as co-defendants, like the Growing Business Foundation, have been served by LANCOR and since had their offices searched for "evidence".

As Groklaw points out, OLPC can ignore the court order if it likes. The charity says it will fight against any injunction or court action.

There are some other strange aspects to the case. LANCOR claims that the OLPC PC infringes on its patents and the move cost it $20 million. However the OLPC had not been released when LANCOR made its demands for cash and therefore could not have made $20 million.

The founder of LANCOR, Ade Oyegbola, was convicted of bank fraud in Boston in 1990 and served a year in prison. He has claimed he will file a similar case in the US, but has failed to do so. Clearly he is not as confident about swaying US judges with his arguments.

*********************

Holy fuck. Can we stop the war in Iraq, and go bomb the shit of Nigeria instead? It seems to be nothing more than con-artists trying to steal money and shit from the rest of the world! And, thier own Government seems to back the scammers!

Time for some scam-baiting. I just received this e-mail:

**********************************************************

(SECRETARY OFFICE)
BP 1818 COCOTOMY ABEDMEY.
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.


Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you to come down here to pick up your Bank
Draft,But i did not hear from you. Then I went and deposited the Draft
with a Courier company named : Thames Courier Service here in
Benin Republic, because i am travelling to return next month end.
You are to contact the Thames Courier Company to know when they will
deliver your package. I have paid for the delivering charges and
insurance fee. The only money you have to send to them is there
security
keeping fee of $110 to received your package. Don't be deceived by any
body this is there Contact Informations.

Attn: Mr Teddy Micheal
Address : BP 2005 Ste Ceceile Ave,
Cotonou Republic Du Benin.
TE L: +(229) 97756428
EMAIL: info@thames.tk OR thames.courier@yahoo.fr

Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the
security keeping fee. Finally, you have to reconfirm this information,
namely Your complete name, phone number and residence address to them
again to avoid any mistake in the delivering. Let me know as soon as
you receive your Draft.

Regards,
Mr. Dennis Silva
Secretary

**********************************************************************
As you can see, it is very well written.

Almost as well designed as thier website "http://thames.tk".

I think I will fuck with them for awhile.

Who wants to help?