In a significant development in the trial of Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, the Ikeja Special Offences Court has admitted an iPhone allegedly used in fraudulent activities as evidence.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, ruled in favour of the prosecution during the hearing of the case yesterday despite objections from the defence.
Mompha and his company are facing an eight-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charges include conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activities, retention of proceeds of crime, failure to disclose assets, and possession of documents containing false pretences.
At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel, Suleiman Suleiman presented testimony from Detective Idi Musa (Prosecution Witness 6), who claimed that the recovered iPhone was used for fraudulent activities.
According to the prosecution, forensic analysis conducted with the assistance of the FBI revealed incriminating documents linked to the device.
These documents, previously tendered as evidence, were said to have been extracted during the investigation.
The iPhone was marked as Exhibit P7 after Justice Dada upheld the prosecution’s arguments and overruled objections raised by Mompha’s counsel, Ademola Adefolaju.
Adefolaju had argued that the prosecution failed to establish a proper foundation for admitting the iPhone as evidence, urging the court to reject it.
“The proper foundation was not laid regarding this iPhone,” Adefolaju argued, emphasizing the need for stricter procedural adherence.
Justice Dada ruled that the prosecution had sufficiently established the relevance of the device to their case.
She referenced prior testimonies, including that of an FBI representative (Prosecution Witness 3), who corroborated the forensic findings tied to the iPhone.
“The court finds that the iPhone presented has met the requirements for admissibility as evidence in this matter,” Justice Dada stated while admitting the device.
The court has adjourned the case to February 3, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
