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Nigerian lawmaker and former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was yesterday, refused bail for the second time, by the UK Uxbridge Magistrate Court, despite his insistence that the alleged organ donor, David Nwamini, was not 15 years old.
Ekweremadu was arraigned in court alongside his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka, for charges bothering on alleged kidney harvesting, however, his wife did not appear in court, yesterday.
Recall that the London Metropolitan Police had last week arrested and charged Ekweremadu and his wife for allegedly going against a law on organ harvesting.
The donor, identified by the UK police as Ukpo Nwamini David, claims to be 15 years old, despite his passport data page suggesting he was 21 years old having been born on October 12, 2000.
During the proceedings yesterday, the prosecutor insisted that the alleged organ donor is 15-years old and described Ekweremadu as a power man who is a flight risk, hence argued he should be denied bail.
The court adjourned the case to July 7 and referred to the Westminster Magistrate to UK Attorney-General, Suella Braverman, to decide the best place to try the case, whether Nigeria or UK.
See Also: Ike Ekweremadu and Wife Arrested in the Uk for Trafficking Child for Organ Harvesting
The report further stated that given that part of the alleged breach of law was committed outside the UK, the permission of the attorney general was needed for the trial to go ahead.
Ekweremadu, 60, stands accused of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another individual for exploitation, which is prohibited by Modern Slavery Act 2015 in UK.
On the other hand, Beatrice his wife, 55, is accused of arranging or facilitating the travel of another individual for exploitation.
The report added that Beatrice’s absence was informed by a delay in her transport from which necessitated she will appear in court later.
The President of Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, said the Senate would send a delegation to UK to meet Ekweremadu.
He said, “The High Commission has done so much, but we still expect that it will continue to provide consular service. And we have also mandated our committee on Foreign Affairs to engage with the British Commission here in Nigeria to find more details on this case, as far as the high delegation is involved.
“There will be a delegation to London to see the former deputy Senate president. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs will leave in the next two days to London for that purpose.”
Source: Vanguard