Beatrice Ekweremadu, the wife of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied her involvement in the organ trafficking scheme to find a donor for their daughter, Sonia.
Beatrice was last year arrested alongside her husband in the United Kingdom for allegedly trafficking a young man into the country to harvest his kidney.
The couple is currently on trial alongside their daughter and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, at the Old Bailey in London.
It has been claimed that the Ekweremadus attempted to convince doctors at the Royal Free Hospital to carry out a private £80,000 procedure by falsely presenting a young man as Sonia’s cousin.
However, on Monday Beatrice denied any involvement in the identification of potential donors and has maintained that her husband managed their finances and household.
On the family’s finances, Beatrice told the court that her husband took care of the house, just as she pointed out that she only carried out domestic duties which included visiting their children in school in the UK every couple of weeks.
Sonia’s kidney problem was discovered after she fell ill in 2019 and was diagnosed while seeking medical attention in the UK.
According to testimony given in court, Ike Ekweremadu kept his wife informed about developments in their daughter’s health, including discussions with his medically trained brother, Diwe.
Beatrice acknowledged that she regarded Diwe as the family doctor but did not inquire about his involvement in finding a donor.
The defence has argued that Obeta, a former classmate of Diwe, offered to assist the family and that the Ekweremadus were unaware of any illegal activity.’
Beatrice has denied playing any part in the scheme and, along with her husband and Obeta, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The trial is ongoing.
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