The N32.9 billion fraud trial of alleged internet superstar, Ismaila Mustapha (a.k.a Mompha) on Wednesday proceeded under the watchful eye of a Federal High Court in Lagos State.
Mompha is accused of 14 checks verging on extortion, tax evasion and activity of a remote trade business without the authorisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He was arraigned close by a firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd.
He argued not guilty to the charges, and was allowed bail in the total of N100 million with one surety in like aggregate.
EFCC blamed the respondent for securing Ismalob Global Investment Ltd. what’s more, holding in its record, a total aggregate of N32.9 billion somewhere in the range of 2015 and 2018.
The arraignment has since opened its case and had driven a few observers in proof.
NAN reports that when the case came up on Wednesday, the Prosecutor Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, proceeded with assessment of the fourth arraignment witness, Mr Matthew Enu-Obun.
Enu-Obun, a staff of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), told the court that looking at the transaction of Dec. 14, 2015 to Jan 25, 2018, there was no reports made.
He said that, from accessible records, the said exchanges were never answered to SCUML by the organization, Ismalo Global Investment Ltd., the second defendant.
When Oyedepo asked the observer who marked Exhibit C (a reply to the investigation activities on the defendant), he replied, “I signed it.”
Under interrogation by barrier counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), the observer told the court that he had been with SCUML years since 2006.
He said that he worked in the consistence division and had consistently got elevated up to the situation of a key consistence official.
Oyewole then asked the observer, “So, you have never been in the operations department?”
The observer answered, “No.”
When asked the full meaning of DNFI, the observer said that it represented by Designated Non Financial Institutions
As indicated by him, they are classifications of organizations which are assigned, for example, gambling clubs, stores, contracted bookkeepers and legal advisors.
The preliminary will proceed on Feb. 26.
In the charge, indictment claimed that Mompha washed N32.9 billion through Ismalob Global Investment Ltd. from 2015 to 2018.
The two defendants were claimed to have arranged outside trade exchanges in different sum, for example, N9.4 million, N20 million, N10.4 million, N2.4million, N100 million, N61 million, N40.7 million and N42 million, among others.
Mompha was claimed to have supported the Ismalob to hold in its record, a total sum of N14 billion acquired from Pitacalize Ltd.
The supposed offenses negate the arrangements of areas 15(2) and 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as revised.
