Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court
sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has adjourned till March 13, 2025 further hearing in
the trial of Ismaila Mustapha for an offence bordering on alleged money
laundering.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on January 12, 2022 arraigned 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 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."
He pleaded "not guilty" to the charge when
it was read to him.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, February 3, 2025,
the prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman presented its sixth prosecution witness,
PW6, Idi Musa, an operative of the EFCC.
The prosecution, through the PW6, who was recalled to
testify in the matter, sought to tender documents received from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation,FBI.
However, counsel to the defendant, Kolawole Salami,
objected to the admissibility of the documents on the grounds that “they
emanated from the US Department of Justice through the US Consulate Office.
They are public documents, but were not certified.
“The EFCC, not being the maker of the said documents,
cannot purportedly certify the same.”
The judge, however, admitted the said documents as
exhibits P8, P9 and P10, respectively.
In his further testimony, the PW6 admitted that though
the first defendant stated during investigation that he owned the wristwatches
recovered from him, he did not input the same in the Asset Declaration Form
filled upon his arrest.
During cross-examination by the , the PW6 admitted
that the defendant was arrested in 2019 and was earlier charged before the
Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for money laundering- related offenses ,
which is still pending before the court.
He admitted that the wristwatches were ordered to be
released to the defendant by two separate orders of the Federal High Court.
The court orders were admitted as exhibits P11 and
P12.
In his further testimony, the PW6, under
cross-examination, told the court that the document referred to in count 7 was
obtained in the absence of the defendant.
According to him, the defendant refused to make a
statement when he was confronted with the document during investigations.
The witness, upon further cross- examination, admitted
that no petition was received from Continental Diary Facility Southwest LLC in
respect of the first defendant.
“ It was the Commission who enquired from the company
and a statement was made,” he said.
When asked by the defence counsel if the said
statement of the company was before the court, the witness could not provide
it.
The matter was adjourned till March 13, 2025 for
further cross-examination and continuation of trial.
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