An application by state prosecutors to discontinue proceedings against the second and third accused persons in the extradition case involving social media influencer Frederick 'Abu Trica' Kumi has been firmly rejected by the presiding judge, Justice Bernice Ackon, who declined to grant the request and effectively distanced the court from the decision.

Reacting to the development, Robert Ishmael Aggrey Amissah, counsel for the second accused person, Lord Eshun and Bernard Aidoo, invoked a biblical analogy to describe the court’s position.

“We have come to meet Pontius Pilate in court today,” he stated, explaining that although the state had applied to withdraw the charges, the presiding judge “refused and washed her hands off the case.”

As a consequence, the legal status of the two co-accused persons remains unresolved, with the court declining to formally discontinue the proceedings against them.

Meanwhile, the case against Abu Trica who has been indicted by a US court in a romance scam scandal continues. The Gbese District Court adjourned his matter to February 2, 2026, after which he left the court premises.

In parallel, the defence has initiated a broader legal challenge to the extradition process. Mr Amissah disclosed that his legal team filed an application at the High Court on January 20 seeking bail for all three accused persons.

“We have also filed additional applications to quash the entire process, as the illegality involved cannot be allowed,” he added.

All parties are now awaiting the next court date for Abu Trica, 34, scheduled for February 3, as the pending High Court applications and the unresolved status of the co-accused persons continue to loom over the proceedings.