An Ikeja Special Offences Court has discharged social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, and struck out the alleged ₦6 billion money laundering charges preferred against him.
Justice Mojisola Dada delivered the ruling on Tuesday. She held that the pendency of a similar case before the Federal High Court in Lagos rendered the proceedings before her an abuse of court process and an instance of forum shopping.
The judge consequently struck out all eight counts against Mompha and discharged him from the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on January 12, 2022.
He stood trial in absentia on charges bordering on conspiracy to launder funds allegedly obtained through unlawful activities, retention and laundering of proceeds of crime, failure to disclose assets, possession of documents containing false pretences and use of property derived from unlawful acts.
Mompha had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The EFCC alleged that he, alongside one Ahmadu Mohammed who is said to be at large, and Ismalob Global Investment Limited, conspired in 2016 to conduct financial transactions worth ₦6 billion to promote unlawful activities, including obtaining money by false pretences.
The prosecution, led by Suleiman Suleiman, called six witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits in support of its case.
The defence did not call any witness. Mompha was reportedly granted bail on the condition that he deposited his international passport, but he subsequently stopped appearing in court.
On April 28, the court closed the defence case after his counsel, Kolawole Salami of the law firm of Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, failed to produce witnesses.
The latest ruling brings the proceedings in the Ikeja Special Offences Court to an end, although the judge’s decision was based on the existence of a similar case before the Federal High Court.
