CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has said that due process should have been followed in the extradition of Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica Abu Trica by allowing the pending cases in court to end before being taken to the US.
He, however, said that the government needed to send a message of zero tolerance for the alleged conduct of Abu Trica.
“Regrettable as the due process mechanism may have been truncated, we want to do a balancing act to see whether the swift extradition is worth it. America evangelises due process and rule of law. Even in America, due process is respected,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 11.
He added “If there was a legitimate notice of appeal and an application for stay pending that hearing, that ought to have been respected before extradition. I strongly believe government wants to send a message that Ghana will not provide a shield for persons engaged in organised crime.”
For his part, Former High Commissioner to India, Mike Oquaye Jnr, has said it was not appropriate for the Government of Ghana to extradite Abu Trica, when there were pending court cases against him.
He said that America will not extradite their citizens when there are court cases, hence wondered why Ghana would do that to Abu Trica.
“Why the rush? Maybe there is a particular reason. We need an explanation from the government for that,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 11.
“Even though this matter is still pending in our court of competent jurisdiction, he has been shipped away; I don’t think this is right. I don’t think America will ship their citizens when matters are pending in court,” he added.
Similarly, Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu questioned why the government hurriedly extradited Abu Trica, to the United States.
He wondered whether Ghana is looking for loans from the US, hence the rush to extradite Abu Trica.
Kpebu explained that anytime a government is in such a hurry to extradite people, there is a possibility of the government seeking the support of the US in one way or the other; hence his question of whether Ghana is seeking loans from the US..
“Why this inordinate rush to extradite Abu Trica? Is Ghana looking for something from the United States of America?” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 11.
Kpebu also described the extradition as contempt of court because there were pending proceedings in court on Abu Trica prior to the extradition.
He said, “I share the sentiments of Abu Trica’s lawyer that the extradition is a travesty of justice
“Once proceedings are pending, don’t do anything that brings the administration of justice into disrepute. Once there were proceedings before the court, you don’t ignore them; it is contemptuous.
“It was shameful, and the government shouldn’t have done that (extradition).”
Abu Trica has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to an alleged $8 million romance scam case.
According to reports, Kumi was flown out of Ghana on the morning of Thursday, July 9, 2026, aboard Delta Airlines flight DL 157, bringing to a close months of legal battles over his transfer to face fraud charges in America.
Kumi is wanted in the US over his alleged role in the scheme, which targeted elderly Americans. Prosecutors allege he participated in a scheme that used AI tools to create fake identities and build relationships with victims in order to solicit money under false pretences. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
He was arrested in Ghana on 11 December 2025, following a joint operation involving Ghanaian and US security agencies, including the FBI.
His extradition follows a 2 July decision by the High Court in Accra, which ordered that he be surrendered to US authorities. His lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, had earlier said his client had reportedly been taken to the Police Hospital in Accra, and raised concerns about being unable to access him before the extradition.
Kumi had earlier secured bail from the Accra High Court in the sum of GH¢30 million, with two justified sureties, while his legal team challenged the extradition order.
His case moved rapidly in the past week. On 2 July, the High Court dismissed a challenge by his lawyers against a Gbese District Court ruling that had approved the Attorney-General’s extradition request, after which security officers rearrested him to facilitate the transfer. On 3 July, his lawyers filed an emergency application seeking to halt the process, arguing that it had been fast-tracked without proper notice. Today’s reported extradition suggests that application did not succeed.
The case forms part of a broader US crackdown on Ghanaians linked to romance and cyber fraud schemes, including Joseph Badu Boateng (“Dada Joe Remix”) and musician Hajia4Reall.
Kumi’s legal team had separately filed a human rights lawsuit alleging mistreatment during his arrest. It is not yet clear how his transfer affects that action.
