Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu had a heated exchange with the prosecutor at his ongoing Old Bailey “conspiracy to facilitate travel with the aim of exploitation “trial on Thursday, while being cross-examined.

Ekweremadu, who’s on trial with Beatrice, his wife, Sonia, their daughter and Dr Obinna Obeta, vehemently denied that he was paying and offering reward in exchange for a kidney donation for his daughter.

Bombarded with series of questions from his defence statement and also from the available evidence, the Senator replied with “no, that’s not true, that’s true “to some, but went into detailed explanation on others.

At a point in the cross-examination, the Crown’s Hugh Davies, KC, said, “what you were doing was criminal” in that Sonia was registered without her surname while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Abuja. The Senator told the prosecutor, “I reject that.” Seconds later, Davies said, “you were running for election as a Governor and you didn’t want to be seen doing this” sort of things. Ekweremadu reiterated his earlier position, saying: “I reject that.”

When told that he had falsely written a supporting letter for David Nwamini’s visa application, Ekweremadu said it was based on the advice that they had been given to “establish a level of relationship “with the potential donor.

Thursday’s sitting started with character references via live video link from Nigeria by the Archbishop of Enugu and Ebonyi states, Most Reverend Emma Chukwuma and Mrs. Cindy Egwu, a former executive director of the Senator’s foundation. Led in evidence by Gavin Owen, one of his barristers, Chukwuma told the court that he had known Ekweremadu for “not less than 29 years.”

Asked by Owen to explain the characteristics of the holder of the title of “Knighthood of Good Shepherd,” which Senator holds, Chukwuma said:”that person must be somebody who’s not corrupt, at peace with his wife,” among others. He described Ekweremadu as being someone whose “character is very worthy “of the post and of emulation.

Davies used this testimony as a cross-examination tool when he later had the floor. He said: ”we heard from the Archbishop “ that he did good in the people of his Enugu West Senatorial community, and so why didn’t he advertise for an altruistic donor “from that community?” Ekweremadu responded by explaining that he didn’t want everyone knowing his daughter’s medical condition.

When Davies went ahead and alleged that the Senator was paying for a donor, Ekweremadu replied and said: “that’s not true, that’s not true. I wasn’t doing anything illegal. I was protecting my daughter.”

The trial continues on today.

When Davies later had the floor, he too asked if Nwamini was aware that something had been put aside for him from the Ekweremadus for agreeing to donate his kidney. Obeta told jurors: “l didn’t tell him anything.” The trial continues.

Ekpa had repeatedly ordered the people of the South-east to observe a sit-at-home and asked them to boycott the country’s general elections billed for tomorrow.

Aside from the threat to elections, the Finland-based Nigerian had insisted that people of the region must observe sit-at-home every Monday to protest the detention of Kanu. The sit-at-home directive has been reportedly linked to killings in the South-east.

However, the leadership of IPOB through its spokesperson, Emmanuel Powerful, had distanced the group from the sit-at-home order issued by Ekpa.

(The Guardian)

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