Social media personality Frederick Kumi, widely known as “Abu Trica,” has initiated a high-stakes constitutional lawsuit against Ghana’s Interior Minister and several key investigative agencies, including the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The lawsuit, filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, seeks GH¢10 million in damages for alleged unlawful detention, interrogation, and violations of his fundamental rights.
Kumi, arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following U.S. indictments linking him to a multimillion-dollar romance scam, is challenging the conduct of his arrest and subsequent treatment.
The suit names the Narcotics Control Commission (NCC), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Attorney-General, and the FBI as defendants.
In his application for the enforcement of his human rights, filed by his lawyer under Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution, Kumi alleges severe procedural breaches.
He claims he was held in an “intimidating, coercive environment” without access to legal representation, food, or water.
Furthermore, he states he was compelled to disclose passwords and that properties belonging to his clients were seized.
A central pillar of the suit challenges EOCO’s public characterization of him as a “notorious cyber-criminal.”
Kumi contends that this portrayal, disseminated without a conviction from any competent court, unlawfully prejudices his right to be presumed innocent and to receive a fair hearing.
The reliefs sought are sweeping. Kumi is asking the High Court to declare that his prolonged detention and interrogation without a lawyer breached his constitutional rights to personal liberty, human dignity, and a fair trial.
He is also seeking a court order to exclude any information retrieved from him during this period from being used in any future criminal, extradition, or administrative proceedings.
Additionally, the application includes a request for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the defendants from removing him from Ghana’s jurisdiction until the court fully determines the legality of his arrest and detention.
The lawsuit sets the stage for a significant legal confrontation, probing the boundaries of investigative powers, international cooperation, and constitutional safeguards in Ghana.
