A front-page claim that Ghanaian socialite Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has handed US investigators the names of eight people allegedly linked to laundering proceeds of a multimillion-dollar romance scam is dominating public debate in Ghana. It is also unverified, and it is being disputed.
The claim
The Daily Gist reports that Kumi has given investigators eight names of individuals alleged to have laundered proceeds. Online reports go further and say the list includes a Member of Parliament from the Central Region. No official source has confirmed any of this, and none of the eight people has been publicly identified.
The denial
A close friend of Abu Trica, identified as David Quarcoo, has dismissed the reports as false, saying he spoke to him by video call and that he laughed off the claims.
He argued the case is still at the discovery stage and that Kumi has not been speaking with prosecutors in a way that would amount to implicating others. That is a statement from an associate, not from Kumi's legal team or US prosecutors.
The underlying case
Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, after a US federal grand jury indictment alleging he was part of a network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023.
Following his extradition, the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio alleged he and co-defendant Daniel Yussif led a network that used AI-driven video tools and fake female personas to defraud more than 80 elderly Americans of over $8 million, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of assets allegedly bought with the proceeds.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years on each count, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A wider net
A June 2026 Department of Justice statement described a broader investigation involving at least five Ghanaians accused of defrauding over 130 victims of more than $15 million, with three suspects detained in the US and Kumi and a fifth suspect awaiting extradition. That scale is why claims about further names carry weight, and why they need to be handled carefully.
Why it matters
For Ghana, the stakes go beyond one celebrity defendant. The case tests how far cybercrime networks reach into finance and politics, and how effectively Accra and Washington cooperate against them. Until a court record or official statement confirms who, if anyone, Kumi has named, the responsible position is to treat the "eight names" as an allegation about an allegation.
Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,
International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)
[email protected]
+233555275880
Sources
Citi Newsroom: "Abu Trica defrauded 80 elderly Americans in alleged $8m romance scam US Prosecutors" (July 15, 2026)
US Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio, press release on Kumi's indictment
GhanaWeb: "US DoJ reveals new details in Abu Trica romance fraud investigation" (June 5, 2026)
ZionFelix.net: "Abu Trica reacts to viral reports alleging he has named an MP…" (September 27, 2026)
The Daily Gist, front page, September 28, 2026
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