The Federal High Court in Lagos has made an order for suspected
Internet fraudster, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, to be remanded
in the prison custody.
Justice Mohammed Liman made the remand order on Monday shortly
after Mompha was arraigned before him on 14 counts bordering on
fraud, money laundering and running a foreign exchange business
without the authorisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In the charges against him, the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission alleged that Mompha procured one Ismalob Global
Investment Limited and retained in its bank account an aggregate of
N32.9bn between 2015 and 2018.
The EFCC said Mompha “ought to have reasonably known that the
money formed part of proceeds of unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”
Among other things, the Internet celebrity was also accused of
negotiating foreign exchange transactions of various sums with
various persons when he was not an authorised seller appointed by
the CBN.
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said
Mompha acted contrary to sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign
Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous (Provision) Act Cap F34 Laws
of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and he was liable to be punished
under Section 29(2) of the same Act.
When the charges were read to him, however, Mompha pleaded not
guilty.
While praying for a date for commencement of trial, the
prosecution urged Justice Liman to order that the defendant be
remanded in the prison custody.
The defence counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), said he was not
opposed to the application for a trial date but said he had already
filed a bail application for his client and served same on the
prosecution.
The prosecution confirmed that it had been served with the bail
application but said it required time to read and respond to
it.
Justice Liman adjourned till Friday, November 29, to take
arguments on the bail application and for a trial to commence.
Meanwhile, the prosecution applied that the judge issue
summonses on some of its listed witnesses, including the Director
of Trade and Exchange Department at the CBN, Ahmed Umar; and Enu
Matthew of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering,
Ministry of Trade, among others.
The Human Rights-Based Approach to
Carbon Finance NOW ON SALE— Order Your Copy!!!
written By Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi, LL.B
(1st Class), BL
(1st Class), LL.M (Calgary), LL.M
(Harvard), DPhil (Oxford) Professor of Law and
Director, OGEES Institute, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti. For
more information or to order your copies, please
contact Mr. Keji
Kolawole: [email protected][2] , Tel:
+234 81 40000 988[1]
Subscribe ToNairalaw News! References ^
The Human Rights-Based Approach to
Carbon Finance NOW ON SALE— Order Your Copy!!!
(www.cambridge.org) ^ [email protected]
(nairalaw.com)
Read more n32-9bn-alleged-scam-im-not-guilty-says-mompha-as-court-remands-him-in-prison/