The N32.9bn fraud trial of Internet celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, resumed on Wednesday before the Federal High Court in Lagos after being stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the Wednesday’s proceedings before Justice Mohammed Liman, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission fielded an accountant as a witness in its bid to prove the 22 counts it filed against Mompha and a firm, Ismalob Global Investment Limited.
While granting the prosecution’s prayer for an adjournment till July 10, Justice Liman directed that the EFCC must bring all its remaining witnesses to court on that day.
The defence counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), had earlier frowned on the EFCC’s prayer for an adjournment, noting that the anti-graft agency had earlier promised that its final witnesses would be presented on Wednesday.
In the charges, the EFCC alleged that between 2015 and 2018, Mompha procured Ismalob Global Investment Limited to retain an aggregate of N32.95bn in its bank account.
The EFCC said he ought to have reasonably known that the funds formed parts of proceeds of an unlawful act; to wit: fraud.
Furthermore, the EFCC alleged that not being an authourised buyer of foreign exchange currency appointed by the CBN, Mompha negotiated several foreign exchange transactions with different individuals in the sums of N20m, N22.3m, N30m, N100m and N40.7m.
He was also accused of making cash payments of €299,000, €213,675, €273,000 to one Ahmed Sarki, said to be deceased.
These offences were said to be contrary to Section 18(c), 15(2)(d), 15(3) and Section 10 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
The EFCC said Mompha and Ismalob Global Investment Limited also violated sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provisions) Act Cap F34 LFN 2004.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.
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