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Lawyer for Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has revealed that his client has been rushed to the Police Hospital while expressing fresh concerns over his detention and the inability of his legal team to gain access to him.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, July 8, private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor disclosed that he had received information indicating that Abu Trica had been taken to the Police Hospital.
“I have just found out from sources at the Police Hospital that Abu Trica has been rushed to the hospital,” he wrote.
The lawyer said it has been more than a week since he and other members of Abu Trica’s legal team were allowed to meet with their client despite making repeated requests to the relevant authorities.
According to Barker-Vormawor, all attempts to gain access to Abu Trica have been unsuccessful, raising serious concerns about his constitutional right to legal representation.
“It has been over a week; we haven’t been allowed access to Abu Trica as lawyers, and our request to meet him has not been granted,” he stated.
He further claimed that the legal team does not know where Abu Trica is currently being held, adding that Interpol, which initially had custody of him following his arrest, has indicated that it no longer has him in its custody.
“In fact, we have no idea where he is being held and Interpol, which first had custody of him, says they don’t have him,” he added.
Barker-Vormawor warned that his legal team would file a habeas corpus application if authorities continue to deny Abu Trica access to legal counsel.
A habeas corpus application is a legal process used to challenge the legality of a person’s detention and compel authorities to produce the detained individual before a court.
“We will be filing a habeas corpus application by tomorrow if the Republic continues to deny him something as basic as his right to counsel,” he said.
The lawyer also criticised what he described as the treatment of Ghanaian citizens in cases involving foreign law enforcement agencies, suggesting that the rights of suspects should not be compromised during extradition proceedings.
“Let’s keep treating our citizens as animals to please the FBI. Today, it’s a ‘fraud boy’. Tomorrow it will be a politician,” he wrote.
The latest development comes as Abu Trica faces extradition to the United States over allegations that he participated in an alleged romance scam and wire fraud scheme reportedly valued at about $8 million.
His legal team has consistently challenged aspects of the extradition process and has raised concerns over the lack of information regarding his whereabouts following the High Court’s decision to approve his extradition.
Earlier this week, Barker-Vormawor informed the court that despite repeated requests, the Attorney-General had not responded to his application seeking access to his client. The matter remains before the courts as the defence prepares additional legal action.
With concerns mounting over Abu Trica’s health and detention, the legal team says it will continue pursuing all available legal remedies to safeguard his constitutional rights, including his right to legal representation and due process.
