An Ikeja Special Offences Court has discharged social media personality Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, and struck out all eight counts of alleged money laundering involving about N6 billion filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Delivering her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the continued prosecution of the case amounted to an abuse of court process because a similar case was already pending before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The judge described the EFCC’s decision to pursue the two cases in separate courts as forum shopping and consequently struck out all eight charges against Mompha.
The EFCC had arraigned Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on January 12, 2022, over allegations of conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime, money laundering, failure to declare assets and possession of documents containing false pretences.
The commission alleged that Mompha, alongside Ahmadu Mohammed, who is currently at large, and his company, conspired in 2016 to conduct financial transactions worth N6 billion to facilitate unlawful activities, including obtaining money by false pretences.
Mompha pleaded not guilty to the charges but was subsequently tried in absentia after reportedly failing to attend court proceedings despite being granted bail on the condition that he surrendered his international passport.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Suleiman Suleiman, presented six witnesses and tendered documentary evidence in support of its case. The defence, however, did not call any witness.
On April 28, the court closed the defence’s case after Mompha’s lawyer, Kolawole Salami, failed to produce witnesses.
Tuesday’s ruling brings the proceedings at the Ikeja Special Offences Court to an end, although the decision was based on the existence of a similar case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
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