The largest city in New Jersey has found itself at the center of an international scam.
The city of Newark admitted to hosting fake delegates from a non-existent country named “Kailasa” last month at aSister City ceremonyin support of what local officials believed at the time was a Hindu nation, according to CBS affiliate WCBS andThe Guardian.
Local officials said the agreement between Newark and the non-existent country was deemed “baseless and void” after six days, according to thePostandGuardian.
“Although this was a regrettable incident, the city of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support and mutual respect,” a spokesperson said in a statement, per the outlets.
Created in 1956 under President Dwight Eisenhower, theSister City International programaims to “create exchanges that create community impact and kindle lifelong friendships” between cities from around the world, according to its website.
At the Jan. 12 event, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka spoke highly of the relationship he believed would develop as part of the partnership, according to thePostandGuardian.
“I pray that our relationship helps us to understand cultural, social, and political development and improves the lives of everybody in both places,” Baraka said.
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The city of Newark claims no money was exchanged between the two parties during the agreement’s short lifespan, per the reports.
“This is an oversight [and] cannot happen any longer,” City Councilman Luis Quintana said, per WCBS.
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Nithyananda has been on the run from rape and child abduction charges since 2019, allegations he denies, according toThe Guardian, which citedThe Indian Express. Around the same time, heannounced the establishment of Kailasa.
Still, many people in New Jersey and beyond are wondering how the city of Newark could have fallen for such a scam.
“Whose job was it to do a simple Google search?” Newark resident Shakee Merritt said, per WCBS.
source: people.com
