Bank officer testifies in Mompha’s N6 billion money laundering case
A compliance officer at Access Bank Plc., Mr. Elijah Adegboye, testified on Monday in the trial of social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha, who is charged with laundering six billion Naira.
Mompha was absent during Monday’s proceedings.
Adegboye, led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr. Suleiman Suleiman, informed an Ikeja Special Offences Court that the bank had received a letter from the EFCC regarding an investigation into the alleged money laundering.
According to the witness, the bank complied with the EFCC’s request and provided the requested documents to the anti-graft agency.
READ ALSO: Mompha denies EFCC’s re-arrest, calls claims “laughable”
Adegboye identified the bank’s response to the EFCC, which included a statement of account from Naptown Records.
“I confirm that the various entries stated in this statement of account are as contained in the bank’s database,” he said.
“The process of producing this document followed our normal business process, and the computer and printer used were in a functional state at the time the documents were generated.”
The EFCC counsel applied to tender the bundle of documents as evidence. Justice Mojisola Dada admitted the document as evidence since there was no objection from the defense counsel, Mr. Kolawole Salami.
During cross-examination by Salami, the witness confirmed that he was a compliance officer with Access Bank and had over a decade of experience with the bank. He further stated that Access Bank conducted lawful business and was a lawful corporate organization.
It was reported that the prosecution had informed the court on May 15 that it had collaborated with its international partners to secure the arrest of Mompha.
As a result, on September 21, 2022, the court ordered the commencement of the defendant’s trial in absentia after he failed to appear.
On January 22, Mompha, along with his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., was arraigned on eight counts of money laundering. On June 22, a bench warrant was issued for Mompha’s arrest, and the bail previously granted to him was revoked after his absence from court.
Mompha was also absent from court on June 16, and on June 10, the EFCC accused him of violating the court’s order by traveling to Dubai with a new international passport.
The charges against Mompha include conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activities, money laundering, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property derived from an unlawful act, possession of a document containing false pretenses, and failure to disclose assets.
The case was adjourned until September 18 for the continuation of the trial.
NAN
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