No reprieve for Ekweremadu, as London court denies bail application

The Central Criminal Court, London, has again denied former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, bail, saying he is a flight risk.

The court, which gave its verdict at a pre-trial hearing in London on Tuesday, cited the letter and assets forfeiture proceedings against the Senator by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Ekweremadu’s attorneys in a bail application had argued that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Attorney-General of the Federal had written the court that Ekweremadu was not a flight risk and gave a guarantee to produce him should he do otherwise.

They also told court that the Nigeria High Commission in the UK had equally given the option of tagging Ekweremadu electronically to monitor his movement.

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.

However, the prosecution insisted that Ekweremadu was a flight risk, citing 8th July 2022 letter by the EFCC signed by the Assistant Director Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkoi.

READ ALSO:Ekweremadu blames EFCC for his travails in London court

EFCC had indicted Ekweremadu and vowed to immediately institute assets forfeiture proceedings and criminal processes against him following his detention in London.

The judge said: “I am entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk as the trial is just over a month away. Consequently, this bail application is refused.”

Ekweremadu’s trial is expected to commence at the end of January 2023.

The Specialist Crime Team of the Metropolitan Police in London had in the middle of the year arrested Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, and charged them with organ harvesting.

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