Ekweremadu to remain in detention until at least October 31 with main trial to start next May

FORMER deputy senate president Senator Ike Ekweremadu has been remanded in custody until October 31 by London's  Central Criminal Court known as the Old Bailey after he appeared today in his ongoing organ harvesting case.

 

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.

 

They have been charged by the Metropolitan Police with conspiracy to engage in the organ harvesting of one David Ukpo Nwamini. Beatrice was charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation, between August 1 last year and May 5, under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

 

Her husband, Ike Ekweremadu, was charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. Today, the case was heard at the Old Bailey, where it has been moved to and a Obinna Obeta, a practising Nigerian medical doctor in London, appeared alongside the couple.

 

Today, the judge ruled that the pre-trial will begin the week of October 31, while the main case itself will start in May 2023. Senator Ekweremadu, who did not make any application for bail today, is expected to appear at the pre-trial via a video link.

 

If the case does not get heard until May 2023, it will mean Senator Ekweremadu's tenure as a lawmaker will have expired  before he faces a jury. Senator Ekweremadu, a five-term lawmaker who represents Enugu West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, will see his tenure end in February and he has said he is not standing for re-election.

 

 

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