Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of Mompha’s Luxury Items, iPhone
A Federal High Court seating in Lagos has granted an order of interim forfeiture of 11 luxury items confiscated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha.
The items, which include, luxury sunglasses, luxury wristwatches, and an iPhone 8 – were seized from Mompha when he was arrested by the EFCC in October 2019 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
Justice Lewis Allagoa made the order on Wednesday, October 13 after hearing arguments for an ex-parte application by EFCC counsel Chinenye Ugwoke.
The judge ruled that the order subsists pending the EFCC’s investigation of the respondents in the suit, Mompha and his company Ismalob Global Investment Ltd.
Mompha and his company have been facing a N32.9 billion money laundering charge before Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos since November 2019.
The luxury sunglasses are a Dsquared sunglass, Tomford – TF586, Cartier – B17C76B, Montblanc – MB0045S, and a Louis Vuitton- Z1186E.
The luxury wristwatches are a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, Audemars Piguet, Audemars Piguet- J46220, XY Hublot – 1321920, and an XY Hublot- 924206.
The iPhone 8 bears the serial number C8PVF1LKJC6C.
As part of its argument, the EFCC told the judge that the items were “found in the possession of the 1st Respondent (Mompha), which property/asset is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and presently in the lawful custody of the Applicant.”
The agency said a preliminary investigation revealed various intelligence reports linking Mompha with chains of internet/cybercrime activities.
