The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday presented additional documents as evidence against social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, in his ₦6 billion money laundering case.
According to DAILY POST case is being heard at an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
Mustapha, who remains at large, is facing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts of money laundering
Musa Idi, the sixth prosecution witness, testified under the guidance of EFCC counsel Suleiman Suleiman.
In the continuation of his evidence-in-chief on Monday, Idi presented documents allegedly received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Defence counsel Kolawole Salami objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that they originated from the U.S. Department of Justice through the U.S. Consulate and, as public documents, were not certified.
He contended that the EFCC was not the originator of the documents and, therefore, lacked the authority to certify them.
In her ruling, Justice Mojisola Dada admitted the documents as Exhibits P8, P9, and P10.
The prosecution witness stated that Mompha admitted during the investigation that the wristwatches seized by the anti-graft agency were his.
“Even though he did not declare them in the Asset Declaration Form filled upon his arrest,” Musa said.
During cross-examination by the defence, the witness acknowledged that Mompha was arrested in 2019 and had been previously charged with money laundering offences at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, with the case still ongoing.
He informed the court that two separate orders from the Federal High Court had directed the release of the wristwatches to the defendant, but the EFCC had failed to comply with these orders.
The witness stated that the document mentioned in count seven was obtained without Mompha’s presence, and when he was shown the document during the investigation, he denied having any knowledge of it.
Idi admitted that no petition had been received from Continental Diary Facility Southwest LLC concerning Mompha. Instead, it was the commission that had approached the company, leading to the statement being made.
The court adjourned the case to March 13 for the continuation of the trial.
