By Amoako Kwame
Lawyer for Ghanaian socialite Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has alleged that the government failed to notify him before his client was extradited to the United States to face fraud-related charges.
In a post published on his X page on Thursday, Barker-Vormawor said he was neither formally informed of the extradition nor given the opportunity to meet his client before he was handed over to US authorities.
According to the lawyer, he only became aware that Abu Trica had been removed from Ghana after the extradition had already taken place. He questioned the manner in which the process was carried out, suggesting that his client’s legal team should have been notified before the transfer was executed.
Barker-Vormawor had earlier raised concerns over his inability to access Abu Trica after learning that he had reportedly been taken to the Police Hospital in Accra while extradition proceedings were ongoing.
Abu Trica was extradited to the United States on Thursday following a July 2 ruling by the High Court in Accra granting a request by US authorities for his surrender. He is expected to stand trial over allegations that he was involved in an alleged $8 million international romance fraud scheme.
The suspect had been in custody since December 2025 and was at one point granted bail by the High Court in the sum of GH¢30 million with two justified sureties while the extradition proceedings continued.
Romance fraud schemes typically involve suspects using false identities on online dating platforms and social media to establish relationships with victims before deceiving them into sending money. US authorities allege that Abu Trica was part of a network that defrauded victims of millions of dollars through such operations.
As of the time of publication, Ghanaian authorities had not publicly responded to Barker-Vormawor’s claims that the defence was not informed before the extradition was carried out. It also remains unclear whether the lawyer intends to challenge any aspect of the extradition process.
Under both Ghanaian and US law, the allegations against Abu Trica remain before the courts, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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