Ghana opposes one-way extradition of cybercrime suspects to Western countries

Ghana has rejected any international arrangement that allows only the extradition of cybercrime suspects to Western countries without reciprocal legal cooperation.

Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai made this position known during the opening of the Global Fraud Summit, where global stakeholders are exploring measures to tackle cross-border financial crimes.

The summit, organised under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL, is aimed at developing a coordinated legal framework to combat fraud across jurisdictions.

Addressing participants, Mr. Srem Sai emphasised that Ghana would not support any system that creates an imbalance by focusing solely on transferring suspects from Africa to Western countries without ensuring equal legal cooperation.

“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,” he wrote on his X page after his address.

He stressed that international cooperation in tackling fraud must be fair and mutually beneficial, particularly in addressing financial crimes and corruption cases that affect African countries.

The Deputy Attorney-General’s remarks come at a time when Ghana is actively engaged in extradition-related matters involving the United States.

One such case involves Frederick Kumi, popularly known as “Abu Trica,” who is being sought by U.S. authorities over alleged offences including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

The Gbese District Court is expected to rule on March 25 on a preliminary objection filed by his lawyers challenging the legal basis of the extradition request.

Counsel for the accused, led by Oliver Barker Vormawor, argue that the offences cited are not covered under the 1931 extradition treaty between Ghana and the United States.

According to the defence, the agreement does not explicitly include wire fraud or money laundering as extraditable offences, and provisions relating to conspiracy apply only to specific categories that do not extend to the current charges.

They further insist that Ghana cannot rely on newer domestic legislation to expand the scope of the treaty, maintaining that any extradition must strictly adhere to the original terms agreed between both countries.

The issue has gained further attention as Ghana also seeks the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the United States over decisions taken during his time in office.

Mr. Srem Sai’s comments highlight growing concerns about fairness in international legal cooperation, particularly in cases where African countries are expected to comply with extradition requests without equivalent arrangements for asset recovery or the return of suspects linked to corruption.

The Global Fraud Summit continues with discussions focused on strengthening collaboration while ensuring that international agreements reflect balanced and equitable legal frameworks for all participating countries.