A London court has granted Ike Ekweremadu’s wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, bail with some fairly stringent conditions.
The court, however, denied the former deputy Senate president bail, London Mail reported.
Ekweremadu and his wife appeared at the Old Bailey last Friday for a bail hearing.
The Common Sergeant of London, Richard Marks, said: “The position is that I have granted bail to Beatrice subject to some fairly stringent conditions but I have refused bail to Ike.”
Prosecutors are not appealing the decision, the court heard. The couple is due to appear at the Old Bailey on August 4. The couple was arrested in the United kingdom on June 21 after flying in to Heathrow from Turkey.
Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, an accountant, together with her husband, Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a barrister, are accused of trafficking a 21-year-old Davi Ukpo to London from the streets of Lagos in order to harvest his organ for their daughter.
They are accused of plotting to traffic him to transplant his organs to their daughter who suffers from kidney failure. Beatrice is charged with arranging or facilitating travel of Ukpo with a view to exploitation, between August 1, last year, and May 5, under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Ekweremadu is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of Ukpo with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. Martin Hicks, QC, defending Ike, has said: “We deny that there was any exploitation or any intent to do so. The argument will be factual denial.”
Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said previously that the case involved “exploitation and the harvesting of an organ.”
He said: “The case began on May 5 2022 when the complainant presented himself at Staines Police Station and claimed he had been transported to this country for the purpose of his kidney being removed.
“He arrived on February 20, 2022 and was taken to Royal Free Hospital where tests were conducted. For the purpose, he did not consent to the taking of his kidney. He returned to the house he was staying and his treatment changed dramatically. He described being treated effectively as a slave.”
Ukpo allegedly escaped the address and was homeless for three days before he turned up at Staines Police Station.