10 YEARS JAIL TERM COMING:
Ekweremadu, Wife, Daughter, Dr. Obinna Obeta violate Modern Slavery Act of the United Kingdom, Guilty of Organ Trafficking-British Court
…I am Innocent, Not involved in any Human Trafficking, embattled lawmaker fires back
*Suspects remanded in custody, await sentencing
*UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, states: “Human trafficking offence in Section 2 Subsection 1 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, a person commits an offence if the person arranges or facilitates the travel of another person (“V”) with a view to V being exploited. Subsection 2 states that it is irrelevant whether V consents to travel (whether V is an adult or a child). Section 2 Subsection 7, a person who is not a UK national commits an offence under this section if any part of the arranging or facilitating takes place in the United Kingdom, or the travel consists of arrival in or entry into, departure from, or travel within, the United Kingdom”
*BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Senior Investigative Editor
HE WAS A FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE-a famous lawmaker from the South-East area of Nigeria. SENATOR IKE EKWEREMADU, wife, daughter and a medical doctor friend accused to have conspired to hatch this alleged organ trafficking scheme to ‘save the embattled ex-National Assembly leader’s kidney failing daughter’s life’ is presently facing the toughest battle of his life, as all signs now point to a 10 year jail term in a British prison.
Ekweremadu, is at risk of being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the United Kingdom after a London court found him and his wife, Beatrice, guilty of organ trafficking.
Following the guilty verdicts by Mr. Justice Johnson, Ekweremadu and his wife were remanded in custody and await sentencing on May 5.
According to The Mirror, the duo faced the accusations alongside a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, and their daughter, Sonia, who was cleared of charges after the jury deliberated for nearly 14 hours.
The Ekweremadus were arrested and had been in the custody of UK authorities after they received complaints from the young man about their alleged plans to harvest his organ.
According to Daily Mail, the young man, a trader from Lagos, was to be rewarded for donating a kidney to Sonia in an £80,000 private procedure at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Naija Standard reports that the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 frowns on human trafficking under which organ harvesting falls.
According to the human trafficking offence in Section 2 Subsection 1 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, a person commits an offence if the person arranges or facilitates the travel of another person (“V”) with a view to V being exploited.
Subsection 2 states that it is irrelevant whether V consents to travel (whether V is an adult or a child).
In Section 2 Subsection 7, the law stated that “a person who is not a UK national commits an offence under this section if any part of the arranging or facilitating takes place in the United Kingdom, or the travel consists of arrival in or entry into, departure from, or travel within, the United Kingdom.”
The penalties under the Act stated in Section 5 Subsection that a person guilty of an offence under section 1 or 2 is liable, (a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life; (b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine or both.
In Section 5 Subsection 2, a person guilty of an offence under Section 4 is liable (unless Subsection 3 applies), (a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years; (b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine or both.
Subsection 3 states that where the offence under Section 4 is committed by kidnapping or false imprisonment, a person guilty of that offence is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
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