Court Adjourns Further Trail on Mompha in Absentia.
Justice Dada fixed the date after Idi Musa, the sixth prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave evidence in the money laundering charges the commission filed against Mompha.
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos Special Offenses Court in Ikeja fixed March 13 for the further trial in absentia of social celebrity Ismail Mustapha (aka Mompha).
At the resumed trial yesterday, the EFCC was represented by Suleiman I. Suleiman, while Mompha was represented by Kolawole Salami, who appeared with Ademola Adefolaju.
Led by Suleiman, the prosecution witness, who was recalled to testify in the matter, tendered documents reportedly obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
But Salami objected to the admissibility of the documents on the ground that they emanated from the United States Department of Justice through the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria.
The lawyer said they were uncertified public documents.
The defence lawyer said his objection was in line with sections 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act, stressing that the EFCC was not the maker of the documents and could not certify same.
But ruling, the court admitted the documents as Exhibits P8, P9, and P10.
The witness further in his testimony admitted that the first defendant stated during investigation that the wristwatches recovered from him belonged to him, even though he did not input same in the Asset Declaration Form filled upon his arrest.
During cross-examination, PW6 admitted that the defendant was arrested in 2019 and was earlier charged before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for money laundering related offences.
He said trial is still pending before the court.
He further told the court that the wristwatches were ordered to be released to the defendant by two separate orders of the Federal High Court, which they failed to comply with. The court orders were admitted as Exhibit P11 and P12.
Furthermore, the EFCC PW 6, told the court during cross-examination that the document referred to in count 7 was obtained in the absence of the defendant and that when the defendant was confronted with the document during investigation, the defendant refused to make a statement.
But when confronted with the statement of the defendant admitted as Exhibit P13, which was read in open court, the witness recounted his testimony and admitted that the defendant indeed denied the knowledge of the document referred to in count 7 in his statement.
The witness upon further cross- examination, admitted that no petition was received from Continental Diary Facility Southwest LLc in respect of the first defendant, and that it was the commission who enquired from the company and a statement was made.
When asked by Mompha’s counsel, Kolawole salami if the said statement of the company was before the court, the witness could not provide the statement of the company.
Justice Dada adjourned the matter to March 13, 2025, for further cross examination of the EFCC witness and continuation of trial.
