The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has informed an Ikeja Special Offences Court that Ismailia Mustapha, otherwise known as Mompha, travelled to Dubai despite the seizure of his international passport.
The EFCC had arraigned Mompha and a firm linked to him, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, following their alleged involvement in N6billion fraud on January 12.
The commission later filed an eight-count charge against Mompha, including conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity and laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity.
Others are retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property derived from an unlawful act, possession of a document containing false pretence, and failure to disclose assets and properties.
On March 28, Mompha was directed to submit his international passport to the court after his bail sum was reduced from N200million to N25 million.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Friday, the prosecuting EFCC lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that Mompha travelled to Dubai after he had submitted his international passport on the order of the court.
Oyedepo said, “My Lord granted bail to the defendant (Mompha) and ordered him to submit his international passport.
“The commission is not the only one on this matter and we had from a good authority that the defendant has a passport with No. D50084304 which was issued in Abuja in July 2021 and is to expire on June 30, 2031.
“From the information by our partner, the defendant had on April 11 hired Emirate and flew from Ghana to Dubai. That passport is not the one submitted to this honourable court, my lord.
“The defendant did not travel through Nigeria. The issue now is that the defendant has a new passport at hand which he travelled with after my lord restricted him from travelling.”
But the lawyer to Mompha, Mr Gboyega Oyewole, raised an objection against the EFCC’s claim, adding that the commission should write to the Nigeria Immigration for verification.
He said, “I have spoken with the prosecution concerning this, My Lord. When he called, I told him that there was a particular person who was our surety that was supposed to pay the N25million.
“His account was frozen when the money got into his account. The man called the defendant and for the defendant’s safety, he told the man that he had travelled. But the man has connections and concluded that the defendant has defied the court order.
“My Lord, the EFCC should write to Immigration to ascertain if my client really travelled out of the country or not.
“This is a superior court of record, Sir, and I suggest that an application be brought concerning this, because there is a lot of confusion here. We should have it on record, My Lord.
“Let Immigration respond if another passport exists. The residency visa that he has to live in Dubai is already submitted in court. So, there is no way he can enter the country.”
When a photocopy of the passport was shown to Mompha, he denied the signature on it.
Upon reconvening after a few minutes of stand-down, the defence lawyer urged the court to grant him one week to enable him to verify the claim of the prosecution.
Oyewole then said, “In the interest of justice, we have agreed with the prosecution to give me one week to verify the truth. I need to verify the truth, My Lord.”
