Court adjourns till today to consider Ekweremadu’s bail application
Ekweremadu. Photo: TWITTER/ IAMEKWEREMADU
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu’s bail application will be considered today, circuit judge at the Central Criminal Court, also known as Old Bailey, disclosed yesterday.
That disclosure came just before 04.00 p.m. (UK Time) after almost a day of legal chess between the Crown Prosecutor and four defence team of the Senator, as well as three other defendants, including his wife, Beatrice, and daughter, Sonia.
“Case will resume at 10.30 a.m.,” the judge announced, noting: “One commitment l will make is that we will deal with the bail matter.”
Before the court rose, the defence team had tabled a “dismal of charges “ application. They argued that if the case proceeded to a jury trial, it will be difficult for them to “infer that there was a case of conspiracy” to harvest the organ of David Nwamini.
Unlike the previous hearing last month, Ekweremadu joined proceedings from his Wandsworth Prison via video link. Though the case started shortly after 10.00 a.m., it wasn’t until it resumed at 11.15 a.m., after first break, that the Senator appeared.
“Yes, I am Ike Ekweremadu,” he replied when the court clerk went through the routine of asking him to confirm his name.
A member of his legal team, Dr. Obinna Obeta, also appeared via video link, while Mrs. Ekweremadu sat behind the defence team. Sonia wasn’t in court.
While asking that the case proceeds to jury trial at the end of January, the prosecution stated that there was an element of “deception” in the letter, which the Senator wrote to support Nwamini’s visa application in December last year.
The defence for the Senator took the stance that though there was discussion of payment with the agency representing Nwamini, the procurement never took place as he turned out not to be a match for Sonia’s kidney. Moreover, his counsel noted that “there was no evidence that payment was made” in all materials submitted by the state lawyer.
