21 December 2022
The Central Criminal Court popularly called Old Bailey on Tuesday refused to grant the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu application for dismissal of charges.
The Court Dismissed the application for “dismissal of charges” of conspiracy to facilitate organ harvesting of David Nwamini’s kidney was also thrown out alongside those of his wife, Beatrice and their daughter, Sonia.
Following the development, Ekweremadu, will however spend both the Christmas and New Year Day celebrations behind bars.
By default, the Ekweremadus and co-defendant, Dr Obinna Obeta will now stand trial beginning on January 31. By then, Ekweremadu would have spent a little over seven months in prison since his arrest at Heathrow Airport on June 23rd. Like on Monday,.
The former Deputy Senate presidentand Obeta attended the hearing via video links from their prisons, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was physically present. But Sonia wasn’t in court, having been excused due to her medical condition and ongoing dialysis.
In the bail application, the defence team argued that “he is a highly regarded well known public figure,” and also referenced the fact that he “attended COP 26 in this country and represented Nigeria” on climate change discussions, but the prosecution hammered on his being a flight risk. He told the court that Ekweremadu might take flight and not return to attend the trial if granted bail.
However, his barrister said he couldn’t do that nor leave his sick daughter and wife behind.
The defence went further in his argument, saying the Nigerian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigerian Bar Association gave character references for Ekweremadu and even asked the court to consider electronic tagging in order to monitor his movement.
His defence also told the court that they had sureties and securities of nearly half a million pounds from 11 people, but all this fell on deaf ears and desolate heart.
On his part the prosecutor cited a letter written to them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on July 18, to back their grounds for opposing bail.
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, his ruling was “this bail application is refused.”
In refusing the bail, the judge further said that 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.
It will e recalled that Ekweremadu recently accused EFCC to be behind his travail in London.
