The highly publicized trial of Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, on charges of money laundering amounting to six billion Naira, came to a grinding halt today at the Ikeja Special Offences Court. The reason? The absence of a key prosecution witness.
During the proceedings on Wednesday, Bilikisu Buhari, the Counsel representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court that the next witness for the prosecution was currently out of the country and unable to attend the trial.
Mrs. Buhari also made a request for the witness to testify via virtual means, citing the witness’s unavailability due to a training abroad. However, the defense counsel, Kolawole Salami, vehemently opposed this suggestion.
In his argument, Salami pointed out that the prosecution had ample time to prepare and bring their witnesses to court, emphasizing the lack of prior notice for the application of virtual hearing.
Justice Mojisola Dada, presiding over the case, overruled the prosecution’s request for virtual testimony and postponed the trial until December 19 to allow for the continuation of proceedings.
It is worth noting that the EFCC had previously tendered documents, including reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and an investigative report on Mompha’s iPhone—which the agency alleges was used for fraudulent activities—during the trial on September 18.
This is not the first time Mompha has faced legal action. The trial in absentia commenced on June 3, with a compliance officer from Access Bank testifying against him. The prosecution had earlier announced that it had secured his extradition through international collaboration with its partners.
As the trial progresses, all eyes will be on the courtroom, waiting to see whether the prosecution can secure the necessary witnesses to build a solid case against Mompha. For now, we can only wait until December 19 for the next chapter in this high-profile trial.
