A Nigerian politician has appeared in court charged with planning to operate on a 21-year-old man’s kidney, which he brought to the UK to give to his daughter.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a senator and district attorney, and his wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, allegedly transported the man from Nigeria and then treated him like a slave.
The 21-year-old victim is said to have refused permission to proceed with the procedure after he underwent tests at the Royal Freedom Hospital in Hampstead, north-west London.
The man eventually escaped and went to Staines police station in Surrey.
The couple appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.
They were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after boarding a flight from Turkey.
Ike Ekweremadu faces one count of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate another’s travel for the purpose of exploitation, and his wife is charged with arranging or facilitating another’s travel in order to exploitative purposes.
The couple were not asked to plead guilty, but the court previously said they had stated that they would plead not guilty.
The court heard that it denied the charges and that any exploitation had occurred. They also confirmed there was no criminal conspiracy.
The couple were detained by deputy judge Tan Ikram before their next appearance at the Old Bailey.
There will be a guilty plea hearing and set to go to trial on August 4.
