Old Bailey denies Ekweremadu bail again with judge ruling that he remains a flight risk

FORMER deputy senate president Senator Ike Ekweremadu has once more been denied bail by London's Central Criminal Court popularly known as the Old Bailey with the judge ruling that he was a flight risk.

In June, Senator Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice were arrested by London's Metropolitan Police on suspicion of child trafficking and planned organ harvesting. They were charged before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

Both of them were denied bail at the time and were remanded in custody until the case were heard again on July 26 at the Westminster Magistrates Court, when Beatrice was released but her husband was denied bail. In the first such case of its kind involving Nigerians, the Ekweremadus were accused of conspiring to traffic a homeless man into the UK to harvest his kidney for their daughter.

Yesterday, the case was heard on court again in a pre-trial hearing where Senator Ekweremadu sought to get released on bail. In the bail application, Senator Ekweremadu’s lawyer had argued that the Nigerian high commissioner to the United Kingdom and the attorney-general of the federation had written to the court  stating that the lawmaker was not a flight risk.

His defence also argued that a guarantee to produce Senator Ekweremadu should he pose a flight risk was given and that the Nigeria high commission had equally given the option of tagging him electronically to monitor his movement. Referring to attestation of Senator Ekweremadu’s character by respected Nigerians and organisations, his lawyer also argued that the lawmaker had proven to be a caring and responsible father and could not escape from London, abandoning his wife and sick daughter.

In addition, the defence further told the court that they had sureties and securities of nearly £500,000 from 11 people to secure Senator Ekweremadu’s release on bail. Stating that Ekweremadu was a highly regarded, well-known public figure, his defence team also referred to his involvement in some global humanitarian courses.

However, the prosecution insisted that Senator Ekweremadu was a flight risk contending that as a holder of international passports from two other countries, the lawmaker could escape to any of the other countries asides from Nigeria. In addition, the prosecution also cited a letter written by the by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 18 on assets forfeiture proceedings against the senator.

Refusing the bail application, the judge ruled: “I am entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk.” He added that bail would not make much difference, anyway, as the trial is just over a month away, as it is due to start on January 31.