The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, want the court to investigate how the social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (alias Mompha) flouted the court order and traveled to Dubai with a new international passport.
Mompha had at the last adjourned date told the court about his intention to enter into a plea bargain with the anti-graft Agency over his ongoing trial, where he is charged with N6 billion money laundering by EFCC.
It will be recalled that he was on March 28 ordered to submit his international passport to court after his bail conditions were varied.
Mompha along with his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, are on trial over alleged six billion Naira money laundering.
At the proceedings on Friday, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the Commission had from a good authority that the defendant has a passport with No. D50084304 which was issued in Abuja on July 2021 and is to expire on June 30, 2031.
He stated further that Mompha on April 11 hired Emirate and flew from Ghana to Dubai, stating that the passport used is not the one submitted to this honourable court my Lord.
According to him, Mompha did not travel through Nigeria, meaning that the defendant has a new passport at hand which he traveled with after the Court restrict him from traveling.”
Responding, the Defence counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole, SAN,objected to the submission of the prosecution and argued that EFCC should write to the Nigeria Immigration to ascertain the claim.
He told the court that there was a particular person who was our surety that was supposed to pay the N25 million.
He said when the money got into his account. The man called the defendant and for the defendant’s safety, he told the man that he had traveled. But the man has connection and concluded that the defendant has defiled the court order.
EFCC counsel thereafter urged the court to stand down the case for 10 minutes so as to discuss with the defence counsel.
The defence counsel, thereafter, urged the court to grant him one week to verify the claim of the prosecution.
Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case until June 16 for further consideration on bail application and ordered the defendant to be in the custody of the defence counsel.
