British bizman nabbed for estafa

CEBU, Philippines - The British founded of the international disco club, Don Christo K. Inc., was arrested early morning yesterday inside an uptown hotel in Fuente Osmeña for the crime of estafa.

Christo Karageorges, 65, of Famagusta, United Kingdom was arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant for allegedly being unable to pay a long overdue debt to a male friend.

Operatives from the City Intelligence Division and Management Branch led by Chief Insp. George Ylanan served the arrest warrant, duly signed and issued by Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 10 in Cebu City, at 1:35 a.m. yesterday.

The CIDMB team first went to Don Christo K. Inc. at PIRC Building (Old Casino Filipino-Cebu) in Nivel Hills, Barangay Lahug where Karageorges can allegedly be found but the team did not find him there.

Ylanan’s team tapped their informants to locate Karageorges and at past midnight, the informants called them up and confirmed that the accused was staying at an uptown hotel in Fuente Osmeña.

The team then proceeded to the place and arrested the accused who was inside one of the rooms of the hotel.

In a telephone interview with The FREEMAN, Jose Gloria, vice-president of Don Christo, said that the complainant of the case was a certain Lendy. Several calls were made to Lendy’s lawyer but nobody answered.

Ylanan also said that he only served the warrant and had no background of the case.

It was reported earlier that Karageorges was planning to develop a Hollywood-type disco club on the site of the old casino, which used to be operated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) until the late 1990s, in Nivel Hills, Lahug.

Karageorges has said that the disco club, which would include a paradise garden, is expected to become operational by the end of last year. However, reports showed that as of today, the old casino building is not yet renovated. — Niña G. Sumacot/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)