One more witness to testify against Mompha

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to, on July 10, present its remaining witnesses in the trial of social media personality, Ismaila Mustapha.

Justice Mohammed Liman gave the directive following the EFCC’s prayer for an adjournment.

Mompha’s counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), had informed the court that an adjournment was “unwarranted”, as the agency had previously promised to field all its witness yesterday.

Mustapha, alias Mompha, is accused of cyber fraud and laundering N33billion.

He and his firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, were on March 4, 2020 re-arraigned before Justice Liman on 22 counts.

The Commission alleged that Mompha is a major figure in an organised transnational cyber fraud network, adding that he used Ismalob Investment to launder the funds, part of which he used in acquiring properties in Dubai.

Mompha pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Led by EFCC counsel Mr S. I. Suleiman, Mr Abiodun Audu, an accountant, testifying for the prosecution, said he never met Mompha in the course of filing Ismalob Global Investment Ltd’s tax return.

He told the judge that it was one Alhaji Hamodu, a director in Mompha’s firm, that contacted him to file the tax returns for the company.

Hamodu, he said, required him to input July 2016 to June 2017, in the tax return to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).