The High Court in Accra has cleared the way for Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, to be extradited to the United States to face charges over an alleged $8 million romance scam targeting elderly victims.
The court dismissed an application by Kumi’s lawyers challenging a previous Gbese District Court ruling that granted the Attorney-General’s extradition request.
Security officers rearrested Kumi immediately after the ruling to facilitate his transfer.
Kumi faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in the U.S.
His defense attorney, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, confirmed the decision on social media and announced intentions to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
Prior to this latest ruling, the High Court had granted Kumi a GH¢30 million bail with two justified sureties.
He had been held in custody since December 2025 following a joint operation between Ghanaian security agencies and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Gbese District Court originally approved the extradition on March 27, dismissing defense arguments that money laundering and wire fraud were not covered under the 1931 Ghana-U.S. Extradition Treaty.
The presiding judge ruled that although these specific offenses were absent from the decades-old treaty, they are recognised under United Nations conventions.
Parallel to the extradition dispute, Kumi’s legal team has filed a human rights lawsuit in the High Court.
The suit alleges that officers from the Narcotics Control Commission, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Attorney-General’s Department, and the FBI subjected Kumi to torture and degrading treatment during his arrest, violating his constitutional rights.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
