Prior to their trial for accused organ harvesting, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice made an appearance in a London court on Tuesday.
AFP reports that Ekweremadu’s daughter was unable to attend because she was hospitalized.
When asked to confirm his name, Ekweremadu spoke only to respond “Yes, miss” when he arrived at the Old Bailey court wearing a grey tracksuit top.
The federal congressman from Enugu, his wife, their daughter Sonia, and a physician are all on trial for bringing a 21-year-old man from Nigeria to have his kidney removed.
According to the prosecution, the defendants planned to have the man’s kidney removed so that Sonia could receive it.
Sonia is not fit to stand trial, according to a psychological evaluation that her defense team also provided.
Soon after it began, the court adjourned so that the prosecution could read the report.
According to reports, the complainant raised the alarm after declining to agree to the treatment following initial testing at a hospital in north London.
After the man went to the police, charges were filed. The Ekweremadus were detained at London’s Heathrow airport in June of last year after arriving in the country.
Obinna Obeta, a 50-year-old doctor from south London, was the second man to be detained.
The trial’s originally scheduled May date has been moved up.
According to UK modern slavery law, the Ekweremadus and the doctor are accused of conspiring to set up another person’s travel with the intention of exploitation.
According to AFP, the alleged offense occurred between August 2021 and May 2022.
Ekweremadu had his bail plea rejected over concerns he might flee Britain and Obeta was also detained. Beatrice and Sonia Ekweremadu are on conditional bail.