By our Correspondent
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, today, Monday November 25, 2019, remanded an alleged internet fraudster, Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCS), formerly known as Nigeria Prison Service, (NPS).
Justice Mohammed Liman ordered Mompha’s remand after he pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge of laundering N33 billion through internet fraud, and thereafter fixed November 29, 2019 to hear Mompha’s bail application.
The anti-graft agency, EFCC, alleged in the charge signed by one of its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, that Mompha laundered the funds through a firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, between 2015 and 2018.
Islamob Global Investments is the second defendant in the charge.
EFCC claimed that the funds, domiciled with Fidelity Bank Plc, were moved in tranches of N18,059,353,413 billion and N14,946,773,393.00 billion.
The commission further alleged that both defendants, not being a financial institution, or an authorized foreign exchange dealer, negotiated a foreign exchange transaction in the sum of N9.416million, N20 million, N10,437,400.00, N10miillion, N2.46million, N10miillion, N100million, N61million, N100million, N40.7million and N42million.
The funds were domiciled in the defendants’ Fidelity Bank account.
EFCC alleged that Mompha “between 2015 and 2018… procured Ismalob Global Investment Ltd to retain the aggregate sum of N18,059,353,413billion in its account No. 5260000846 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc which sum you (Mompha) reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful act to wit: Fraud.
Mompha, between 2015 and 2017, also allegedly aided the company “to retain the aggregate sum of N14,946,773,393.00billion in its account No. 5260000846, also domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc from Pitacalize Ltd.
Both actions offended Sections 18(3) and 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act. 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act, the agency alleged.
