The Central Criminal Court, London, has denied bail to a Nigerian former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. The court, in a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday,…
The Central Criminal Court, London, has denied bail to a Nigerian former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
The court, in a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, gave its verdict denying the bail on grounds that Ekweremadu would flee the country.
Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice were arrested on June 23 and charged with conspiracy to traffic a person for organ harvesting in violation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
In the bail application, Ekweremadu’s lawyer had argued that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Attorney-General of the Federal had written to the court that Ekweremadu was not a flight risk.
The lawyer further argued that a guarantee to produce him should he pose a flight risk was given and that the Nigeria High Commission in the UK had equally given the option of tagging Ekweremadu electronically to monitor his movement.
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.
The defence further told the court that they had sureties and securities of nearly half a million pounds sterling from 11 people to secure Ekweremadu’s release on bail.
Stating that Ekweremadu was a highly regarded, well-known public figure. While arguing that Ekweremadu is highly regarded, he referred to the senator’s involvement in some global humanitarian courses.
However, the court, after hearing the prosecution argue that Ekweremadu is a flight risk and denied his bail application, stressing that the bail would not make much difference even as the trial is just over a month away.
Prior to Tuesday’s hearing, the Old Bailey had agreed that arguments in Ekweremadu’s case will be heard on the 16th or 19th of December 2022 before the commencement of the trial in January.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER NOW
Support MATAZ ARISING’ journalism of integrity and credibility.
Good journalism ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
We ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
TEXT AD: To advertise here – Email ad@matazarising.com
LATEST POSTS
President Biden signs bill to ban TikTok from operations
MaTaZ ArIsInGDallas, Texas President signs bill to ban TikTok from operations The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has signed into law a bill seeking to ban social media app, TikTok. The bill which was earlier passed by the U.S. Congress requires TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app within nine months,…
UK: Abusive husband beat his wife to death with son’s skateboard while police waited outside
MaTaZ ArIsInGDallas, Texas Abusive husband beat his wife to death with son’s skateboard while police waited outside for permission from their bosses to go in An abusive husband beat his wife to death with their son’s skateboard while police outside waited for permission to enter from superiors. Officers heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the…
One arrested as Nigeria’s Okechukwu Iweha is stabbed to death in London
MaTaZ ArIsInGDallas, Texas The Metropolitan Police say they have arrested a man after a 46-year-old Nigerian, Okechukwu Iweha was stabbed to death in Haringey, London. Detectives investigating the murder said a 28-year-old man was arrested in Croydon on Monday, 22 April on suspicion of murder and was taken to a north London police station where…