Ezekoli Ozoemenam, a compliance officer from Fidelity Bank, testified on Monday against social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, in his ongoing trial over money laundering charges involving N6 billion.
Ozoemenam, the fourth prosecution witness, provided evidence in court regarding an account allegedly linked to Mompha. He was led in his testimony by counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Suleiman Suleiman. The prosecution subsequently presented a document related to the account, requesting its admission into evidence.
Defense counsel Mr. Kolawole Salami reserved his objection to the document’s admissibility. In addition, the EFCC counsel requested a witness summons to ensure the presence of their next witness, who reportedly felt unsafe and had received threats.
Justice Mojisola Dada emphasized that it was the prosecution’s responsibility to secure the attendance of its witnesses.
Mompha was notably absent from the court session. His trial in absentia began on June 3, 2023, following repeated absences, including a previous testimony by an Access Bank compliance officer on September 21, 2022. The court ordered the commencement of the trial in absentia after Mompha failed to appear multiple times.
Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., were arraigned by the EFCC on January 22, 2022, on eight counts of money laundering totaling N6 billion. The charges include conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activities, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property derived from an unlawful act, possession of a document containing false pretences, and failure to disclose assets.
The trial is set to continue on July 1.
