The Federal High Court in Lagos has made an order for suspected Internet fraudster, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, to be remanded in the prison custody.
Justice Mohammed Liman made the remand order on Monday shortly after Mompha was arraigned before him on 14 counts bordering on fraud, money laundering and running a foreign exchange business without the authorization of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In the charges against him, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that Mompha procured one Ismalob Global Investment Limited and retained in its bank account an aggregate of N32.9billion between 2015 and 2018.
The EFCC said Mompha “ought to have reasonably known that the money formed part of proceeds of unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”
The defense counsel, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), said he was not opposed to the application for trial date, but said he had already filed a bail application for his client and had also served same on the prosecution. Justice Liman adjourned till Friday, November 29, to take arguments on the bail application and for trial to commence.