Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Dr Obinna Obeta have been found guilty of conspiring to exploit a 21-year-old man from Lagos, Nigeria, for his kidney.
The three individuals were involved in an organ-trafficking scheme that brought the victim to the UK to undergo an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Prosecutors argued that the kidney was intended for the couple's daughter, Sonia, aged 25, but she was cleared of the same charge.
The wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife, and the medical "middleman" were convicted of the crime at the Old Bailey.
The defendants have been convicted under the Modern Slavery Act for the first time in an organ harvesting conspiracy case.
According to the Act, while it is lawful to donate a kidney, it is considered a criminal offense if money or any other material advantage is offered in return.
The prosecution argued that the donor was promised a better life in the UK and offered up to £7,000 for the donation.
The donor was unaware of the purpose of the hospital appointment until the consultant explained that it was for a kidney transplant, after which he was visibly relieved to hear that the operation would not go ahead.
The donor was falsely presented as Sonia's cousin in an unsuccessful attempt to convince the Royal Free hospital to perform the procedure.
Due to legal reasons, the donor cannot be named.
The Ekweremadus, who live in Willesden Green in northwest London, and Dr. Obeta from Southwark in south London, have denied the charges against them.
Source: graphiconline.com
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