The trial of social media celebrity, Ismail Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, has been adjourned to March 13, 2025, by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja.
The adjournment came yesterday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its sixth prosecution witness in the ongoing money laundering trial against Mompha.
At the resumed hearing, the EFCC was represented by Suleiman I. Suleiman, while Mompha’s defence team was led by Kolawole Salami, alongside Ademola Adefolaju.
During the proceedings, the EFCC’s sixth witness, Idi Musa, tendered documents purportedly received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
However, the defence objected to their admissibility, arguing that since the documents originated from the U.S. Department of Justice through the U.S. Consulate Office, they were public documents and had not been properly certified by Sections 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act.
The defence further argued that since the EFCC was not the maker of the documents, it lacked the authority to certify them.
Despite the objection, the court ruled in favour of the EFCC, admitting the documents as Exhibits P8, P9, and P10.
In his testimony, PW6 Idi Musa admitted that Mompha had declared ownership of the wristwatches recovered from him but failed to include them in the Asset Declaration Form filled out upon his arrest.
He also confirmed that Mompha was initially arrested in 2019 and charged before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on money laundering-related offences, a case that remains pending.
During cross-examination, the witness acknowledged that the Federal High Court had twice ordered the release of Mompha’s wristwatches, yet the EFCC failed to comply.
The court admitted these orders as Exhibits P11 and P12.
PW6 admitted that a key document in Count 7 was obtained without Mompha’s presence, and when the defendant was confronted with it during the investigation, he refused to make a statement.
However, when the court read Exhibit P13, which contained Mompha’s statement, the witness recanted and admitted that Mompha had denied any knowledge of the document.
Additionally, the witness acknowledged that the EFCC had not received any petition from Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC regarding Mompha.
Instead, the agency independently inquired about the company’s involvement and obtained a statement.
However, when asked if the company’s statement was before the court, the witness failed to provide it.
Further cross-examination also revealed that Ahmed Muhammed, listed as ‘at large’ in Count One of the charge, was, in fact, alive, well, and within the court’s jurisdiction.
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