A witness has narrated how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered up to ₦35 billion in bank accounts traced back to Ismaila Mustapha, the socialite better known as Mompha.
Mompha is facing trial in a ₦6 billion case of alleged fraud brought against him by the EFCC.
In 2022, EFCC arraigned Mompha and his company Ismalob Global Investment Limited on an eight-count charge of money laundering.
The charges include conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, and failure to disclose assets and property.
They also include possession of documents containing false pretences and use of property derived from unlawful acts.
Mompha pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The socialite was said to have absconded, with the EFCC seeking to re-arrest and get him to court since June 16, 2022.
NAN reports that Idi Musa, an investigator with the EFCC, gave his testimony at a special offences court sitting in Ikeja on Monday.
Musa told the court that EFCC received a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) saying that Mompha and his company led a cybercrime in the US.
He said the information revealed that Mompha and his company belong to a syndicate defrauding internet users.
The witness said N35 billion was discovered in Mompha’s bank accounts.
Musa said the social media celebrity claimed he was “into Bureau De Change business but investigation showed that he was not”.
“In the course of the investigation, some letters were written to Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank requesting account statements,” he said.
“The account statement was analysed. We discovered an ₦30 billion inflow through the account of the first defendant in Fidelity Bank and ₦5 billion in the Zenith Bank account.
“The combination of the FBI and an investigative report revealed that Mompha’s iPhone was used to send account details to a UAE telephone number to search for swift codes of a bank.”
The witness said all the properties recovered from Mmpha were registered with exhibit keepers in the EFCC office during his arrest.
He said most of the properties were released to him on bond, except his iPhone8 which was still with the commission.
Musa said the items are treated as proceeds of crime because he did not include them when he was handed an asset declaration form.
The prosecution tendered Mompha’s statement and his asset declaration form to the court.
They were admitted in evidence as exhibits P5 and P6.
Mojisola Dada, the presiding judge, adjourned the case until October 8 for continuation of trial.
