On Monday, Ezekoli Ozoemenam, a compliance officer at Fidelity Bank, provided testimony against Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, in a money laundering case involving N6 billion. Ozoemenam appeared as the fourth prosecution witness in the trial, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr. Suleiman Suleiman.
During the testimony, Ozoemenam discussed details of an account at Fidelity Bank that is allegedly linked to Mompha. The prosecution presented the related documents and requested the court to admit them as evidence. However, Mompha’s defense counsel, Mr. Kolawole Salami, reserved his objection to the document’s admission.
The EFCC counsel also requested a witness summons for their next witness, citing concerns for the witness’s safety due to threats received. Justice Mojisola Dada reminded the prosecution that ensuring the presence of witnesses in court is their responsibility.
Mompha was notably absent during this session. His trial in absentia began on June 3, 2023, following multiple absences in court, leading to the court’s decision on September 21, 2022, to proceed with the trial without him present. The EFCC initially charged Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on January 22, 2022, with eight counts related to money laundering.
The charges include:
- Conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activities
- Laundering money obtained through unlawful activities
- Retention of proceeds from criminal conduct
- Use of property derived from unlawful acts
- Possession of documents containing false pretenses
- Failure to disclose assets
Justice Dada adjourned the case to July 1 for the continuation of the trial.
