Ghana warns extradition of suspected criminals will not be one-sided to Western Countries

Dorcas Agambila 13:51 - 19 March 2026

Justice Srem-Sai

At the Global Fraud Summit, Justice Srem Sai emphasised that Ghana will not back one-way extradition of cybercrime suspects, highlighting ongoing cases including Frederick Kumi, aka Abu Trica, and former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

Justice Srem Sai has strongly cautioned against what he described as a one-sided approach to extraditing cybercrime suspects to Western nations, insisting that Ghana will not support any global framework that lacks balance.

Speaking on the opening day of the Global Fraud Summit, organised under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL, he stressed the need for fairness in international legal cooperation. The summit aims to develop a coordinated global framework to tackle cross-border fraud.

Following his address, he reiterated his stance in a post on X, stating:

We will, however, support and be part of an arrangement which has a corresponding mechanism for quicker extradition, surrender of political corruption suspects or recovery of loots back to Africa

His remarks come at a time when Ghana is actively involved in high-profile extradition matters. The country is currently seeking the return of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the United States to respond to questions regarding decisions taken during his tenure in office.

At the same time, Ghanaian authorities are handling a formal extradition request from the United States involving Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica. He faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

The Gbese District Court has scheduled 25 March to rule on a preliminary objection raised by his legal team. Led by Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the defence argues that the charges cited are not covered under the 1931 extradition treaty between Ghana and the United States.

According to the lawyers, offences such as wire fraud and money laundering are not explicitly listed in the agreement, and provisions relating to conspiracy apply only to limited categories that do not include the current case. They further contend that Ghana cannot rely on more recent domestic legislation to expand the scope of the treaty.

The defence maintains that any extradition must strictly adhere to the original terms agreed upon by both countries, raising broader questions about how historical treaties are applied to modern transnational crimes.

Update Me