Court admits Mompha’s iPhone in evidence

Admin I Tuesday, December 03,2024

 

IKEJA, Lagos – A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja today admitted the iPhone of the social media billionaire, Ismaila Mustapha, better known as Mompha in evidence.

Mompha, who is still on the run  is facing N6 billion money laundering offence brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Mustapha is standing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts bordering on money laundering.

Musa Idi, the sixth prosecution witness in the continuation of his evidence in chief on Tuesday told the court that the iPhone was duly taken for forensic analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Idi, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while being led in evidence by Mr Suleiman Suleiman, said that fraudulent documents were printed out from the phone.

Suleiman confirmed to the court that the Iphone was obtained during the course of the investigation.

Here thereafter sought to tender the iPhone as an evidence before the court.

Mompha’s Counsel, Mr Kolawole Salami, however objected to the tendering of the iPhone as an exhibit.

Salami argued that no proper foundation was laid as no certificate was tendered along with the phone.

The court then asked the defence counsel if he did not listen to what the witness said.

The prosecutor, in his response to defence, argued that the contention that there was no provision of the Evidence Act posed no issue.

“We urge your lordship to discountenance the submission of defence and admit the documents into evidence,” Suleiman said.

Justice Mojisola Dada in her short ruling, overruled the objection and upheld the arguments of the prosecution.

Dada admitted the iPhone into evidence and marked it as exhibit P7.

witness had on July 1 narrated to the court how how he came across Mompha and his company during the investigation.

He said the commission received an intelligence information from FBI that Mompha and his company led a cybercrime in the United States of America.

At the last adjourned date, two documents, the statement of first defendant and asset declaration which were admitted into evidence and labeled exhibit p5 and p6.

The court adjourned the case until Jan. 3, 2025 for continuation of trial.