The State has discontinued proceedings against two alleged accomplices in the high-profile $8 million romance scam case involving Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, but is pressing ahead with extradition proceedings against the principal suspect, setting the stage for a legal showdown over the sustainability of the case.
At the Gbese District Court on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the prosecution formally withdrew provisional extradition charges against Lord Eshun and Bernard Aidoo, the second and third accused persons, following what it described as further investigations into the matter.
Leading the prosecution, State Attorney Derrick Ackah Nyamekeh told the court that the Republic had “put its house in order” and would no longer pursue the case against Eshun and Aidoo. He explained that the two had been provisionally charged as accessories to Mr Kumi under Section 6 of the Extradition Act, 1960 (Act 22), pending further review.
Mr Kumi, together with Eshun and Aidoo, was first arraigned on December 12, 2025, on provisional extradition charges linked to an alleged romance scam in the United States. The three were accused of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Mr Nyamekeh told the court that Ghana’s extradition regime, guided by treaties with the United States and the United Kingdom, allows for the provisional arrest and arraignment of a fugitive while the State awaits a formal diplomatic request. He stressed that Mr Kumi was the principal fugitive in the case and that it was for the court to determine whether he should be committed for trial outside Ghana.
Responding to defence objections, the State Attorney rejected calls for Mr Kumi’s immediate release, describing them as premature. “If defence counsel’s objection is anything to go by, it is, at best, premature to call for his release,” he said.
Counsel for Mr Kumi and Mr Aidoo, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, said he had no objection to the withdrawal of charges against Eshun and Aidoo. However, he argued that the decision fatally undermined the case against Mr Kumi.
Mr Barker-Vormawor contended that the charge sheet accused Mr Kumi of conspiracy offences which, under Ghanaian law, require the participation of more than one person. With the alleged co-conspirators no longer facing charges, he argued that the prosecution could not lawfully maintain the case against a single accused person.
“The charge against the first accused person fails in its entirety by the withdrawal of the charges against the alleged conspirators. In the circumstances, Kumi should be discharged and released,” he submitted.
He further referred the court to the Extradition Act, 1960, and Article 3 of the 1931 Extradition Treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom, arguing that committal proceedings must be grounded in offences recognised under Ghanaian law and designated as extraditable.
The relieving judge adjourned the case to February 7, 2026, for a ruling on the arguments raised by both sides. However, the court declined to immediately discharge Eshun and Aidoo, citing insufficient details on the record, and remanded all three accused persons into lawful custody pending the ruling.
Mr Kumi, Eshun and Aidoo are alleged to have played various roles in an $8 million romance scam targeting victims in the United States, involving accusations of conspiracy to defraud by false pretences and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
