Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court stting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, adjourned till December 19, 2023 further hearing in the alleged N6bn fraud trial involving social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission made this known on its Facebook page

Mompha alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, was arraigned by the commission’s Lagos Zonal Command, on January 12, 2022 on eight charges bordering on conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct and laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity, among others.

At the last proceedings on September 18, 2023, the EFCC, through its third prosecution witness, Ayorinde Solademi, a staff member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Legal Attache, US Consulate, Lagos, had tendered a report by the USA-based FBI, as well as an investigative report on Mompha’s iPhone, which the agency claimed was used for fraudulent practices

The Judge had, thereafter, adjourned till November 1, 2023 for continuation of trial

The statement partly read, “At Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel for the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the prosecution’s next witness was not in the country.

“Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the case till Tuesday, December 19, 2023 for continuation of trial.”

In another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reviewed its guidelines on arrest, bail, and processing of suspects.

The review, which is premised on the need to adhere to the rule of law and international best practices in the treatment of suspects, was rolled out on Monday, October 31, 2023, across all its commands.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said in a statement that “In the new guideline, premium attention is focused on the rights of suspects, especially where arrest, detention, and bail issues are concerned. Operational activities are to be tailored towards relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2011, and the EFCC’s Standard Operating Procedures, SOP.

“Specifically, operatives of the Commission are not allowed to demand for professional certificates of sureties as a bail condition. Also, every demand for international passports of suspects would henceforth be exercised with discretion, depending on the nature of the case, personality, and country of residence of the suspect

Oyewale further said that the director of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Commander of the EFCC, CE Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, cautioned that, “bail conditions served on suspects must be reasonable and practicable to be fulfilled by suspects and their sureties. Detention of suspects without a Remand Warrant for unreasonable length of time beyond the constitutionally allowed period must henceforth stop forthwith.”

Tahir also warned officers of the Commission against unwarranted violations of rights of suspects