There seemed to be glimpse of hope for the embattled former Deputy Senate President Prof. Ike Ekweremmadu as the United Kingdom court has scheduled to hear arguments in his case in December, 2022.
Meanwhile, the trial has also been brought forward from May 2023 to January 31, 2023.
Recall that Senator Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice were arrested in the United Kingdom for alleged organ harvesting.
The couple were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after arriving on a flight from Turkey.
Ike Ekweremadu and Obinna Obeta, from Southwark, south London, are charged with conspiring to arrange or facilitate the travel of a man with a view to him being exploited.
Mrs Ekweremadu and Obeta were charged with arranging the travel of the man with a view to him being exploited.
Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said previously that the case involved ‘exploitation and the harvesting of an organ.’
According to Probert-Wood, ‘the case began on 5 May 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 20th February 2022 and was taken to Royal Free Hospital where tests were conducted.
‘For the purpose he was there 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.’
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.’