Ex-Latics player jailed for fraud

Medi Abalimba: jailed for frauds

A FORMER Oldham Athletic player who tried to maintain a lavish lifestyle after his football career ended has been jailed for fraud.

Londoner Medi Abalimba (25) was sentenced to four years in prison at Manchester Crown Court after admitting multiple, high-value frauds.

The midfielder, who joined Latics in January 2011 and had stints at Derby, Southend, Fulham and Crystal Palace, impersonated footballer Gael Kakuta and used stolen credit card details to pay for goods and services - including a £2,600 bar bill at a Manchester nightclub and a £20,000 shopping spree at the Trafford Centre.

Abalimba perpetuated the fraud across the UK, staying in boutique hotels, eating in expensive restaurants, ordering designer clothes and travelling everywhere in chauffeur -driven limousines.

On one occasion, he took four girls from Manchester on an £1,100 helicopter tour over London before inviting them to stay with him at an £800 a night rented mansion in Berkshire, which he claimed was his home.

Greater Manchester Police tracked him down to the mansion and with the help of Thames Valley Police, he was arrested.

He told police he regularly broke into lockers at a sports club in Camden and using master keys, used his phone to photograph members’ credit card details.

Abalimba ran up huge bills at hotels in London and Manchester. The total value of his deception is thought to be over £163,000.