A Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday admitted as evidence the iPhone of social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha, in a ₦6 billion money laundering case.
Mompha, who remains at large, is facing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts related to money laundering.
The sixth prosecution witness, Musa Idi, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified that the phone underwent forensic analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During this investigation, fraudulent documents were retrieved from the device.
Mompha’s counsel, Mr. Kolawole Salami, objected to the admission of the iPhone as evidence, arguing that the prosecution had not laid the proper foundation for its inclusion, citing the absence of a certificate required by the Evidence Act.
However, Justice Mojisola Dada overruled the objection, siding with the prosecution's argument that the provisions of the Evidence Act did not apply in this instance. Consequently, the court admitted the iPhone as Exhibit P7.
The trial, which began after the EFCC received intelligence from the FBI implicating Mompha and his company in cybercrime activities in the United States, has been adjourned until January 3, 2025, for further proceedings.
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