At the Ikeja special offences court, further documents have been introduced into evidence against Ismaila Mustapha, more commonly known as Mompha.
During Monday’s court session, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) submitted two documents through its representative, Suleiman Suleiman.
These documents include a letter from the EFCC to the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and an investigative report prepared by the FBI.
According to the investigative report, Mompha’s iPhone was implicated in fraudulent activities.
Ayotunde Solademi, a representative from the FBI, testified that forensic examinations conducted by the bureau unveiled that Mompha’s iPhone was utilized to transmit bank account details to a United Arab Emirates (UAE) phone number, search for bank swift codes, and access a compromised Microsoft 365 account.
FBI reveals compromised iPhone details
“The iPhone in question was found to have a compromised Microsoft 365 account, and the perpetrators utilized a fraudulent domain to manipulate communication with the defendant’s company,” the FBI representative disclosed in court.
Furthermore, the prosecution witness informed the court that the FBI’s analysis revealed that Mompha’s iPhone was employed to modify payment methods from cheque to wire transfers.
During cross-examination, Kolawole Salami, Mompha’s legal counsel, referenced a section of the documents indicating that the FBI documents should not be utilized in legal proceedings unless an independent communication has been made.
In response, the witness argued that his presence in court, testifying, constituted a separate communication by the FBI, allowing for the documents’ use in court.
The witness also admitted that he had no knowledge of whether the FBI had ever arrested the defendant and clarified that the FBI’s forensic analysis of Mompha’s iPhone was conducted at the request of the EFCC.
Initially, Mompha’s defense had objected to the admissibility of the documents, contending that they must first be certified by the United States Consulate.
However, the judge overruled this objection and upheld the prosecution’s argument that the FBI documents were authentic and did not necessitate certification.