Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday granted a Dubai-based internet celebrity, Ismailia Mustapha, aka Mompha bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in the like sum.
The court granted his application for bail filed through his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN).
Justice Dada ordered that one of the two sureties must own property valued at N100 million within its jurisdiction.
The court also ordered his remand in the custody of a Correctional Centre of his choice in Lagos pending perfection of his bail while his international passport already submitted, is to remain in the custody of the court’s registrar.
Justice Dada granted bail to Mompha after listening to arguments from both Oyewole and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.
Before the ruling of the court, Oyewole had prayed the court to grant his client bail for him to prepare for his defence in another trial before Justice Mohammed Liman of Federal High Court.
The senior lawyer argued that Justice Liman had been transferred out of Lagos but has been given fiat to continue with the matter, though, no date has been fixed for the defendant to open his defence.
In his18 paragraph affidavit in support of his bail application which was deposed to by Adefolaju Ademola, he said the defendant (Mompha) has never jumped bail or missed any date of his trial before Justice Liman.
Oyewole further submitted that even when he had COVID-19, he complied with the order of the court.
“When he had COVID-19, his medical was registered outside the country. We attached all the reports to the letter I personally signed to send to EFCC, to assure the Commission that, by January, my client would have been fully recuperated and he did. He walked by himself to the EFCC as I promised. He was never arrested anywhere.”
The EFCC counsel, Oyedepo had, in counter-affidavit, told the court that the defendant, within the last seven months, complied with the court order.
He said the defendant is supposed to limit himself to the United Arab Emirate (UAE).
He alleged that he violated a court order.
Oyedepo prayed the court to take all measures necessary to prevent undue delay and ensure accelerated trial.
The EFCC had arraigned Mompha and his firm, Ismalob Global Investment Limited for alleged money laundering to the tune of over N6 billion.
