To avoid sentencing in Britain, Sheesha bar owner claims he contracted Ebola in Pakistan

The judges have adjourned the sentence until further investigation of the claim made by the defendant

A Pakistani sheesha bar owner in Manchester has claimed that he contracted Ebola virus, according to the evidence produced by his attorney in the Manchester Crown Court.

Wali Yaqub was due to be sentenced after he was found guilty in March for violating fire safety standards in his sheesha bar.

Yaqub’s lawyer presented the  letter from a hospital in Pakistan to the judges. The letter stated that Yaqub has been infected by Ebola and therefore, he is unable to travel back to the UK.

Last year there were some reports of Ebola surfacing in Pakistan, however, those could not be substantiated. Further, the World Health Organisation listed cases in west Africa.

Yaqub, a resident of Manchester, along with five others was found guilty  for their "death-trap business venue."

This article originally appeared in the Manchester Evening News.