A Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja on Tuesday struck out the charges against social media personality, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, of the alleged N6 billion money laundering case.
The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada also discharged him after the judge struck out the alleged N6 billion money laundering case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Justice Dada ruled that the pendency of a similar case before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, rendered the charge before her court an act of forum shopping and an abuse of court process.
Recall that the suspect, Mompha was arraigned 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 pretences, and use of property derived from an unlawful act.
One of the counts reads:
“Ismaila Mustapha, Ahmadu Mohammed (at large) and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, sometime in 2016, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to conduct financial transactions to the tune of N5,998,884,653.18 (Five Billion, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty-Three Naira, Eighteen Kobo), with the intent of promoting the carrying on of specified unlawful activities, to wit: obtaining by false pretence.”
When the defendant was arraigned, he pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him and subsequently granted bail.
During the trial, Counsel to the prosecution, Suleiman Suleiman, presented six witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits in support of the case against the defendant.
However, Counsel to the defence did not call any witness.
Meanwhile, the defendant stopped appearing in court after being granted bail, with his international passport deposited as part of his bail conditions.
Report has that the alleged defendant subsequently obtained another passport and left the country.
Subsequently, the court held that the charge constituted an abuse of court process because of the pending proceedings before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Justice Dada consequently struck out all the counts against Mompha and discharged him.
