Mompha trial: Court Adjourns Hearing till June 22

The case of money laundering filed against a social media personality, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, was deferred on Thursday by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos, due to the defendant’s absence in court.

Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, were charged with money laundering on January 12 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The defendant and his company were charged with conspiracy to launder money obtained through illegal activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property obtained through illegal activity, possession of a document containing false information, and failure to disclose assets and property.

The defendant denied the charges and entered a not guilty plea.

After his bond was reduced from N200m to N25m, the court ordered Mompha to produce his international passport to court on March 28.

The case was rescheduled until June 16, 2022, to provide for more time to review the bail application. The defendant was ordered to be held in the custody of the defense attorney by the judge.

During the court hearing, the defendant’s lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), stated that the defendant would be present when the case was called again.

Justice Dada brought the attorneys forward for a few minutes of private discussion before adjourning the case to June 22 for a new hearing.