Court adjourns Mompha’s alleged money laundering trial till March 13

The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has adjourned the ongoing trial of Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, to March 13, 2025.

The adjournment, on Monday, followed further cross-examination of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s sixth prosecution witness, PW6, Idi Musa, at Monday’s proceedings.

A late Tuesday statement on the EFCC official X handle, titled, “Alleged Money Laundering: Court Adjourns Mompha’s Trial Till March 13,” disclosed this.

Mompha, alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, is facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, failure to disclose assets and property, possession of documents containing false pretences, and use of property derived from an unlawful act.

One of the charges against him read: “Ismaila Mustapha, Ahmadu Mohammed (at large) and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, sometime in 2016, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves 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.”

Mompha pleaded “not guilty” to all charges when they were read to him.

FBI Documents, Defence Objection
At Monday’s hearing, the EFCC, through its witness, PW6, sought to tender documents received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

However, the defence counsel, Kolawole Salami, objected to their admissibility, arguing that: “They emanated from the US Department of Justice through the US Consulate Office.

“They are public documents but were not certified. The EFCC, not being the maker of the said documents, cannot purportedly certify the same.”

Despite the objection, Justice Mojisola Dada admitted the documents as exhibits P8, P9, and P10.

Asset Declaration Discrepancies
Further testimony from the EFCC witness revealed that while Mompha claimed ownership of wristwatches recovered from him, he did not declare them in his Asset Declaration Form upon arrest.

Under cross-examination, PW6 admitted that Mompha was arrested in 2019 and had been earlier charged before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for money laundering-related offences, which remain pending.

The defence also pointed out that the wristwatches had been ordered to be returned to Mompha by two separate court rulings, now marked as exhibits P11 and P12.

Absence of Petition from Continental Diary Facility
During further questioning, the witness acknowledged that no formal petition was received from Continental Diary Facility Southwest LLC regarding Mompha.

“It was the Commission who enquired from the company, and a statement was made,” PW6 stated.

However, when pressed by the defence on whether the said company’s statement was before the court, the witness was unable to provide it.

With more cross-examination pending, the trial was adjourned to March 13, 2025, for continuation.

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