Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
London court hearing charges of conspiracy to facilitate organ harvesting of David Nwamini’s kidney preferred against Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has dashed the Senator’s hope of securing bail application to enable him to spend both the Christmas and New Year Day celebrations with his family.
The Central Criminal Court, alias Old Bailey on Tuesday refused his application for bail.
His application for “dismissal of charges” of conspiracy to facilitate organ harvesting of Nwamini’s kidney was also thrown out alongside those of his wife, Beatrice and their daughter, Sonia.
The court fixed their trial alongside their co-defendant, Dr Obinna Obeta for January 31, 2023.
By that date, Ekweremadu who was arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 23, 2022, would have spent seven months in prison.
Ekweremadu and Obeta attended the hearing through video links from their prisons, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was physically present, and their daughter Sonia was absent due to her medical condition and ongoing dialysis.
In the bail application, the defence and prosecution teams argued over the Senator’s availability should he be granted bail. While the defence team argued that his client was a highly respected public figure, well reputed for honouring his words as shown in his attendance of global events like the COP 26 confab in the UK,and had been standing by his wife and sick daughter, the prosecution reminded the court that Ekweremadu holds passports of three different countries where he can take flight, if granted bail, beside the supporting letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Unfortunately, the defence failed to sway the judge with the fact that the Nigerian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigerian Bar Association gave character references for Ekweremadu as well as electronic tagging to monitor his movement and sureties and securities of nearly half a million pounds from 11 people. On the other handd, tthe judge agreed with the prosecution team that Senator Ekweremadu had three different passports on him when he was arrested. This, according to him, suggests that he could take flight to either the United Arab Emirates or St Kitts and Nevis if granted bail. In other words, implying that the Senator doesn’t necessarily have to run away to Nigeria.
After hearing from both sides of the bench, the Judge said: “I’m entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk,” especially “as the trial is just over a month away. In view of that this bail application is refused.”
