Barker-Vormawor Accuses Gov’t Of Extraditing Abu Trica Before High Court Hearing

Private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor has accused the government of removing Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, from the country before the High Court could hear an application challenging his removal.

In a post on social media, Barker-Vormawor, who is representing Abu Trica in an alleged online romance scam, said his client was taken out of Ghana while legal proceedings concerning his detention and proposed removal were still pending before the court.

According to the lawyer, the defence had earlier applied for an emergency order to prevent Abu Trica’s removal from the country until the court could hear the substantive application. The court, however, directed that the matter be heard on notice to allow the state to respond.

Barker-Vormawor said his legal team also sought access to Abu Trica while he was in custody but was unable to meet him despite repeated attempts. He said letters sent to the Attorney-General’s office received no response, while officers at the Ghana Police Service’s Interpol Division informed the lawyers that Abu Trica was not in their custody.

The lawyer recounted that information received from whistleblowers later suggested Abu Trica had been taken to the Police Hospital before being transferred to the headquarters of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

Although lawyers were eventually informed that access had been approved, they were later told it was too late to see him and were asked to return the following day.

Barker-Vormawor said the legal team subsequently discovered that Abu Trica had been removed from the NIB facility early on Thursday morning.

Citing media reports, he said Abu Trica had left Ghana on a Delta Air Lines flight earlier that morning, urging the state to confirm whether the reports were accurate and, if so, disclose the legal authority under which the removal was carried out.

The lawyer argued that removing his client while court proceedings were pending undermined the judicial process. He urged the court to require the state to account for the circumstances of the extradition and to preserve the court’s jurisdiction over the matter despite Abu Trica’s removal.

He also asked the court to allow his legal team to pursue further relief, including possible contempt proceedings, depending on the state’s response.

Abu Trica was extradited to the United States on Thursday after the High Court approved a US request for his surrender on July 2.

He is wanted in connection with an alleged $8 million romance fraud scheme targeting elderly victims and faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He has denied wrongdoing through his lawyers.