The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the invitation of a socialite, Ismaila Mustapha aka Mompha to prove his allegations against the commission
Mompha is currently standing trial on eight charges bordering on conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, and laundering of funds obtained through unlawful activity among others.
On Monday at the resumption of his trial the sixth prosecution witness, Idi Musa, told Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos how N35bn was found in two bank accounts linked to the defendant.
On Friday, Mompha on his Instagram page described the EFCC as the “most corrupt agency” in the country.
”The Most useless and Corrupt Nigeria Government Agency officialefcc”, he said.
Reacting to his comment on Saturday, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said the commission has invited Mompha to provide evidence against any corrupt operatives.
The statement partly read, ” The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to the malicious and unsubstantiated statement made by the embattled Ismaila Mustapha, (a.k.a Mompha) alleging corruption by operatives of the Commission.
“To this end, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has directed that Mompha be invited to bring clasping evidence of any issue of corruption against any staff of the Commission. Besides, the socialite should also justify his labelling of the EFCC as a “ useless agency” with evidential proof.
“As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC would not sit back and allow libellous effusions against its reputation to go unchallenged. Mompha, to all intents and purposes, cannot be expected to paint the EFCC in bright colours owing to the professional ways officers of the Commission are handling his matter. The EFCC would not be distracted in plying its job by the antics of traducers like Mompha. ”
Oyewale said Mompha’s allegations against the EFCC are an issue the Commission takes seriously.
He said, “The Commission is alarmed that the accused will abandon the platform offered by the court to launch a media war against it through spurious claims. 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
“While Mompha may just be a drowning man clutching at any straw owing to the overwhelming evidence of his involvement in the money laundering case, his unsubstantiated claims against the EFCC is an issue the Commission is taking seriously.”
Oyewale urged the citizens to ignore his ranting, noting that Mompha should face his prosecution before a court of competent jurisdiction.