Socialite Ismaila Mustapha, aka Mompha, was released from custody by an Ikeja Special Offences Court, which also dismissed all eight charges of alleged money laundering involving over N6 billion that were brought against him.
Justice Mojisola Dada stated in her decision on Tuesday that the case’s ongoing prosecution amounted to an abuse of the legal system, pointing out that a similar case was already pending before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The judge dismissed all eight allegations against Mompha after characterising the EFCC’s choice to pursue the cases in several courts as “forum shopping.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on January 12, 2022, over allegations bordering on money laundering and other financial crimes.
He was tried in absentia on allegations of conspiracy to launder funds suspected to have been generated through unlawful activities, retaining and laundering proceeds of crime, failure to declare assets, possessing documents containing false pretences and using properties allegedly derived from illegal activities.
The EFCC alleged that he, alongside one Ahmadu Mohammed, who is currently at large, and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, conspired in 2016 to carry out financial transactions valued at N6 billion to facilitate unlawful activities, including obtaining money by false pretences.
ALSO READ: Money Laundering: Court Adjourns Mompha’s Trial Till Dec. 16
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Suleiman Suleiman, presented six witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits to establish its allegations against the defendants.
However, the defence did not call any witness in response to the prosecution’s evidence.
Mompha was reportedly admitted to bail on the condition that he surrendered his international passport but subsequently stopped attending court proceedings.
On April 28, the court had closed the defence’s case after Mompha’s lawyer, Kolawole Salami, of Gboyega Oyewole, SAN’s law firm, failed to produce witnesses.
Tuesday’s decision effectively ends the proceedings against Mompha before the Ikeja Special Offences Court. However, the judge’s ruling was based on the existence of a similar case pending before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
