The High Court in Accra has dismissed an emergency ex-parte application to halt the extradition of Abu Trica to the United States over an alleged romance scam.
The Court held that the matter of extradition affects the sovereignty of the State and the interests of the accused/applicant.
The Court therefore ruled that the application should be heard on notice to the Attorney-General.
An ex-parte application is essentially an emergency request made without notice to the other opposing party, in this case the Attorney-General.
On Monday, July 6, 2026, lawyers for the applicant, led by Oliver Barker-Vormawor, moved the ex-parte motion for a stay of execution of the extradition order pending an appeal against the July 2 ruling.
Moving the application before Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit, Mr. Barker-Vormawor sought an order to stay the execution of the extradition order granted on July 2, 2026.
According to the application filed on behalf of the applicant, he was seeking to halt all processes to surrender him to authorities in the United States pending the filing, hearing, and determination of an intended appeal and an application for leave to appeal.
Counsel contended that they were seeking reliefs including an order staying the execution of the High Court’s July 2 judgment, which dismissed Abu Trica’s application for a writ of habeas corpus. A habeas corpus application requires the State to produce the accused-applicant in court to justify his detention.
The lawyers are also asking the Court to stay the execution and enforcement of a committal order made by the District Court.
Further, the application seeks an order restraining the Minister for the Interior, the Attorney-General, the Ghana Police Service acting through INTERPOL, and any other state agency from surrendering, extraditing, removing, or transferring Mr. Trica into U.S. custody until his appellate proceedings are concluded.
Counsel also prayed the Court for an immediate administrative stay of the judgment and consequential orders pending the hearing of the application, and any other orders the Court may deem fit.
Abu Trica is currently facing extradition proceedings in relation to charges in the United States.
Meanwhile, the application on notice to the Attorney-General has July 13, 2026 but the Court has abridged the time to July 9.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
