Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, presided over proceedings on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, wherein it was decided to adjourn the ongoing trial concerning an alleged N6 billion fraud involving Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha (currently at large). The matter has been rescheduled for further proceedings on December 19, 2023.
Mompha, alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, was initially arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on January 12, 2022. They are facing a total of eight counts, encompassing charges related to 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 acts.
One of the counts within the indictment alleges that “Ismaila Mustapha, Ahmadu Mohammed (currently at large), and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, sometime in 2016 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst themselves to conduct financial transactions to the tune of N5,998,884,653.18 (Five Billion Nine Hundred and Ninety-eight Million Eight Hundred and Eighty-four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-three Naira Eighteen Kobo), with the intent of promoting the carrying on of specified unlawful activities to wit: obtaining by false pretence.”
During the last court session on Monday, September 18, 2023, the EFCC, represented by its third prosecution witness, Ayorinde Solademi, who is a staff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Office of Legal Attache at the US Consulate in Lagos, presented a report from the FBI’s US-based office. Additionally, an investigative report on Mompha’s iPhone was submitted, with the EFCC asserting that the device had been used for fraudulent activities.
In response, the defense counsel, Kolawole Salami, raised an objection to the admissibility of the two documents, contending that they should be certified by the United States Consulate. He argued, “The documents are not a certified true copy, and should not be admitted in court.” However, the court overruled this objection, accepting the prosecution’s argument that the documents were in their original state and did not require certification.
Under cross-examination, the witness revealed that the FBI’s forensic investigation of Mompha’s iPhone disclosed that it was used to send account details to a United Arab Emirates telephone number, search for Swift Codes of a bank, and access a compromised Microsoft 365 account. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that Mompha’s iPhone had been used to change payment delivery from a cheque to wire transfer after three attempts. The witness noted, “The iPhone was used to make three attempts to transfer funds. The first two failed, but the third was successful.”
Consequently, the presiding Judge adjourned the case until November 1, 2023, for the continuation of the trial.
However, during the proceedings on Wednesday, the counsel for the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the prosecution’s next witness was not present in the country. Therefore, the trial was adjourned once again, and it is now scheduled to resume on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
