Abu Trica
A High Court in Accra has affirmed the extradition of Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, to the United States over an alleged conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering targeting the elderly, estimated at $8 million.
This followed the decision of the court to dismiss an application filed by his lawyers challenging the decision of the Gbese District Court which had earlier granted a request by the Attorney General to extradite him to the US for the alleged crimes.
His lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor confirmed the development on Facebook, describing it as a fast-tracked process and hinted going all the way to the Supreme Court to appeal the decision.
“I am out of Ghana for work. I just heard that the case of Abu Trica has been fast tracked and a judge has just ordered his extradition. Hmmm. FBI 1 – Abu 1. I guess this issue goes to the Supreme Court,” the lawyer wrote.
The court had earlier granted Abu Trica a bail of GH¢30 million with two sureties who must be justified with landed property.
The decision came as a much-needed relief for Kumi who has been in custody since his arrest in December 2025, through a combined effort of local law enforcement agents and their US counterparts.
His previous attempts to secure bail while the extradition proceeding was pending failed, as multiple High Courts refused all his applications filed by different lawyers.
Information available indicates that Abu Trica was rearrested by security officers following the High Court’s decision to decline his challenge against the initial extradition order.
Earlier Order
The Gbese District Court in Accra, on March 27, cleared the path for Abu Trica’s extradition to the United States to trial for allegedly defrauding elderly men and women.
This followed the court’s decision to reject “political motives” claims by his lawyers who had argued that the offence of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering are not extraditable offences under the 1931 treaty between Ghana and the United States.
“Money laundering and conspiracy, though not specifically mentioned in the 1931 treaty, and in the case of Conspiracy and Money Laundering, same has been catered for in the above-named UN Convention. The preliminary legal objection is therefore, overruled, the court, presided over by Her Honour Anna Akosua Appiah Gottfried Anaafi Gyasi had ruled.
The court subsequently gave him up to 15 days within which to challenge the decision to allow the extradition to go though.
The court granted the request amidst pending legal battles initiated by Abu Trica’s lawyers at the High Court challenging the extraction and some alleged abuse of his human right by some state security agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
Abu Trica alleges that his prolonged detention by officers of NACOC, EOCO and the AG from the morning until late evening during his arrest on December 11, 2025, whilst continuously restrained in handcuffs, deprived of food, water, rest, and basic human necessities, and subjected to physical and psychological distress, constitutes torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 15 of the 1992 Constitution and is therefore unlawful and unconstitutional.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
