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| Internet Celebrity, Mompha arraigned at Lagos High Court |
Internet celebrity and alleged fraudster, Ismaila Mustapha popularly known as Mompha, has regained his freedom from the correctional facility.
He was released to his lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Gboyega Oyewole shortly after the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, varied his bail conditions.
Mompha was arrested on January 10, 2022, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and arraigned on Jan. 12 alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, an 8-count charge of alleged money laundering of over N6billion.
The offence is contrary to relevant sections of the Advance Fee Fraud Act of 2006 and the EFCC Act of 2004.
He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
On January 18, he was admitted to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum, One of the sureties, the judge ordered must own property valued at N100 million within the jurisdiction of the court.
The court also ordered the defendant to return his international passport to the custody of the court while ordering his remand in any Correctional Centre of his choice in Lagos pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
Mompha who has since been remanded in the correctional centre for failure to perfect his bail conditions, today applied for a variation of his bail conditions through his counsel.
The counsel also informed the court that the defendant has approached the EFCC for a plea bargain agreement. He told the court that a variation of the bail conditions would fastrack the release of the defendant so he could explore the plea bargain option with the EFCC.
The EFCC did not oppose the application and even though Justice Mojisola Dada, said she was wary of the application, she granted it to allow for plea bargain discussions.
Justice Dada varied the bail conditions by granting temporary relief to the defendant in the sum of N25million with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties the court held must have a landed properties valued at N50 million within the jurisdiction of the state and must be produced by his lawyer.
The defence counsel has also informed the court that the defendant has submitted his international passport to the court registrar and subsequently, presented a letter to that effect.
But the judge sought for the validity of the international passport and asked that a copy of it be printed from the database.
The court has adjourned to April 6, 2022 for a report on plea bargain agreement or a continuation of trial.
