The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked Ismaila Mustapha, the socialite better known as Mompha, to provide evidence of corruption against its operatives.
Mompha is facing trial for an alleged N6 billion fraud. In 2022, the EFCC arraigned the socialite and his company Ismalob Global Investment Limited on an eight-count money laundering charge.
The charges include conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, laundering of funds obtained through illegal activity, and failure to disclose assets and property.
The socialite, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In 2023, Mompha slammed the EFCC after the agency presented an investigative report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stating that his iPhone was allegedly used to carry out N6 billion fraud.
He described the EFCC as the “most useless government agency in Nigeria,” arguing that the commission “lacks truth”.
Again, in a now-deleted post on Friday, Mompha claimed EFCC is the “most corrupt agency in Nigeria”.
But in a statement on Saturday, the EFCC challenged the socialite to provide corruption allegations he has against the agency.
In the statement released by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, Mompha’s allegations were referred to as “malicious and unsubstantiated”.
“The claim, coming from an accused in a criminal trial for conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal activities, failure to disclose assets and property, ought to be ignored as the rantings of a sinking defendant. But his claims strike at the heart of the Commission’s most prized value – integrity and must be challenged,” the statement reads in part.
“If he believes that raising phantom accusations against the Commission will sacre it from diligently prosecuting his case, he is mistaken as no amount of scaremongering will deter the Commission from pursuing the case to a logical conclusion.”
Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC chairman, also directed that Mompha be invited to bring “evidence of any corruption allegation against the staff of the commission”.
Last week, a witness revealed that the EFCC discovered up to N35 billion in bank accounts traced back to Mompha.
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