Court postpones Mompha’s trial until July 3: Money laundering

In the alleged N6 billion fraud trial involving Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, May 15, 2023, adjourned further hearing until Wednesday, July 3, 2023, due to the absence of his lawyer. The hearing will now take place on Wednesday, July 3, 2023.

On Monday evening, our correspondent was able to obtain a correspondence in which the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed some information.

Uwujaren mentioned that on January 12, 2022, the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned Mompha along with his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, failure to disclose assets and property, possession of documents containing false pretence, and use of property derived from unlawful activity. Uwujaren also mentioned that the charges

In one of the counts, it is stated that “Ismaila Mustapha, Ahmadu Mohammed (at large), and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, sometime in 2016, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to conduct financial transactions to the tune of N5,998,884,653.18, with the intention of promoting the carrying on of specified unlawful activities to wit: obtaining by false pretence.”

In spite of this, Mompha entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.

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In addition, the spokesperson for the EFCC noted that the EFCC had informed the court during the proceedings that took place on June 10, 2022, that Mompha was in possession of another passport in addition to the one that he had submitted to the court as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he had used the same passport to travel from Ghana to Dubai via Emirates Airlines on April 11, 2022, in violation of the court order. This was mentioned by the spokesperson for the EFCC.

According to Uwujaren, “Consequently, Justice Dada had revoked the N25 million bail variation granted to him, and also issued a bench warrant for his arrest over his failure to appear in court.” The bench warrant was issued because of the defendant’s failure to appear in court.

The EFCC had issued a warrant for his arrest as well. However, Mompha has not been seen in court since the 16th of June in the year 2022, despite the EFCC continuing their efforts to secure his arrest and bring him back before the judge.

“On September 22, 2022, Justice Dada issued an order that the trial would continue even though the defendant was not present in court. This was due to the defendant’s persistent absence from court as well as the inability of both the prosecution and the defense to produce him in court.

“During Monday’s proceedings, the counsel for the EFCC, S.I. Suleiman, informed the court that the prosecution, in collaboration with its international partners, had secured the arrest of the defendant.” “Attorney for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission”

Suleiman stated, “We would like to bring to the knowledge of my lord that, in collaboration with our international partners, we have been able to apprehend him, and we plan to take him into custody and produce him before the court,” Suleiman said.

In addition to this, he reported to the judge that the attorney representing the defendant “reached out to me seeking an adjournment that he would be absent today.”

The judge has postponed the proceeding until the following Monday, July 3, 2023, for the purpose of continuing the trial.