MONEY LAUNDERING: MOMPHA FLOUTS COURT ORDER, TRAVELLED TO DUBAI WITH NEW PASSPORT- EFCC
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Friday that the social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, defied the court’s order and traveled to Dubai using a new Nigerian passport.
At the previous adjourned date, Mompha informed the court of his intention to engage in a plea bargain with the anti-graft agency over his current trial, in which he is accused of laundering N6 billion by the EFCC.
After his bail conditions were changed on March 28, he was required to give his international passport to the court.
Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, are on trial for allegedly laundering six billion Naira.
The EFCC’s attorney, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court on Friday that the Commission had received information from reliable sources that the defendant had a passport with the number D50084304, which was issued in Abuja in July 2021 and will expire on June 30, 2031.
He went on to say that Mompha hired Emirate on April 11 and traveled from Ghana to Dubai, claiming that the passport he used was not the one provided to this honorable court.
“Mompha, he claims, did not travel through Nigeria, implying that the defendant has a new passport in his possession, which he used to travel after the Court barred him from doing so.”
Mr. Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, responded by objecting to the prosecution’s argument and arguing that the EFCC should write to the Nigeria Immigration Service to verify the claim.
He told the court that there was a certain person who was supposed to pay the N25 million as our surety.
When the money arrived in his account, he said The individual called the defendant and informed him that he had traveled for the defendant’s safety. However, the individual has a link and believes the defendant has broken the court order.
Following that, EFCC counsel requested that the matter be adjourned for 10 minutes so that the EFCC could confer with the defense counsel.
Then, the defense attorney requested that the court permit him one week to investigate the prosecution’s claim.
The case was continued until June 16 for further review of the defendant’s bail application, and the defendant was ordered to be in the custody of the defense counsel.
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