Abu Trica's Case Belongs in the Courtroom, Not in the Court of Public Emotion

Abu Trica, AKA Fredrick Kumi, AKA Emmanuel Kojo Baah, has been indicted by the US and the FBI for allegedly defrauding elderly victims of over US$8 million through a romance scam across the US since 2023.

It was clear that he was fighting two battles at once: the court case and the court of public opinion. He tried to use a TV interview to deal with the latter, yet he has now been extradited to the US to face the charges against him.

Opinions are divided in Ghana, with some supporting his arrest and others sympathising with him.

Now, get this. I do not endorse the suffering of a fellow human being, and I have not concluded that he will lose the case in a US court. But I support accountability and responsible living.

To many, the image of a young boy who has suffered so much in BNI cells, being flown across the Atlantic in handcuffs, in sickness, wearing the one shirt in which he was arrested, and watching Tom & Jerry during the flight under the close watch of FBI officers evokes sympathy. Emotions, however genuine, are not a substitute for justice.

Abu Trica has lived the life of a king. In a single year, he released the three White Angels: the 2024 Lamborghini Urus, the 2022 BMW i8 and the 2025 AMG G-Wagon G63 to add to the many assets he already has. What is striking is that nobody knows what he does for a living including his lawyers.

During his first arrest and in court in Ghana, he was repeatedly given the opportunity to mention his name and what he does for a living. As at today, he still cannot, or does not, remember his name, his profession or the source of his wealth.

I want to be among the community of countrymen and women for whom the same images provoke reflection.

Should we overlook the fact that he displayed and counted GHS 1 million in cash on social media? A money he’s struggling to mention the source? A mature society must resist the temptation to replace accountability and reasoning with compassion and empathy.

Should we become blind to accountability? Can the allegations against him be proven beyond reasonable doubt?

What is striking about the public debate is not merely the sympathy shown to Abu Trica, but the selective compassion it displays. Many are enraged by the visible pain of Abu Trica while overlooking the invisible suffering of the victims from whom he is alleged to have stolen their savings and, in some cases, emotional security through a sophisticated romance scam, or the life he lived: lavish luxury, flamboyant excess, designer indulgence, extravagant leisure, conspicuous affluence and social media opulence with no visible source of income.

Why don't Ghanaians extend the same sympathy to mobile money fraudsters? If you are against Mobile money fraudsters but endorse romance scam because it’s the white man/woman money, look into the mirror and say after me: I am a Witch/Wizard and I support stealing! 2x.

Should the Government of Ghana have defended its own? That question belongs in a courtroom, not in the court of public emotion. I wish him well and sincerely believe he will be fine. We watch, we don’t judge.