The money laundering case against Instagram celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, has been adjourned till December 16, 2022.
The adjournment was announced by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday.
Mompha is being tried by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged N6 billion fraud.
The EFCC is prosecuting Mompha alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, failure to disclose assets and property, possession of documents containing false pretence and use of property derived from unlawful act.
Mompha alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, was first arraigned by the EFCC on January 12, 2022.
Mompha had been declared wanted by the EFCC in August after he failed to turn up in court for his trial.
Reacting, the Instagram celebrity revealed that after his arrest and arraignment on the first case at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on the 10th of December, 2021, the court gave him judgement and ordered EFCC to release his wrist watches and other valuables in their custody to him.
However, being bitter, the EFCC were dissatisfied with the court’s judgment and came up with another trumped-up charge against him.
He revealed that when he went to the commission to retrieve his wristwatch and other possession, he was held down at their office and charged to court.
The EFCC arraigned him before a familiar judge who made his bail difficult, and he had to sleep in their custody for 2months.
Upon his release, he travelled to see his family and lawyer, where the EFCC lawyer, along with an EFCC operative, chose to capitalise on the fact that he travelled to blackmail him into entering a plea bargain with the EFCC else he would inform the judge of his travel.
Mompha claimed that the commission demanded N142 million as compensation and for him to sign a one-year imprisonment sentence which he was uncomfortable with.
After that, they reduced it to N40 million naira and one-year imprisonment.
Mompa’s refusal to sign the plea bargain and play to their game, made the commission inform the judge that he travelled and without any concrete evidence, the judge declared him wanted.
