Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, Patrick Boamah, says he doubt on the government’s ability to extradite the Russian national accused of posting intimate videos of Ghanaian women online.
His comments come amid earlier assurances from the Communications Minister that steps were being taken to bring the suspect to Ghana to face prosecution.
Speaking on Joy FM Super Morning Show, the Okaikwei Central legislator questioned whether the necessary diplomatic and legal steps had been followed and warned that the absence of an extradition treaty between Ghana and Russia could complicate matters.
“First of all, the Russian Embassy in Accra deals directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on matters like this,” he said.
“So I think the very best route to have used was the Foreign Minister inviting the Russian Ambassador for a discussion in the presence of our Communications Minister. That is what I know are the diplomatic channels that we use in matters like this.”
He also raised concerns about whether due process had been followed within Ghana before any attempt at extradition.
“Secondly, has there been a complaint by any of the victims to the police? That’s a question we must answer. Thirdly, has there been a charge against the Russian?” he asked.
According to him, a formal charge is required before any extradition process can even be considered. “There has to be a charge before you can trigger, if even there’s a possibility of extradition,” he stated.
Mr Boamah further said that Ghana and Russia do not have a bilateral extradition agreement.
“I want to put on record that Ghana and Russia do not have an extradition treaty. A treaty simply means an agreement between two countries in writing,” he explained.
He referred to Ghana’s Extradition Act of 1960, also known as Act 22, and noted that while Ghana has ratified international conventions on cybercrime, Russia is not bound by the same instruments.
“Ghana ratified the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime in 2019 and some additional protocols in 2023. Russia is not a signatory to both the Budapest Convention and the additional protocol between Ghana and the EU,” he said.
“For legal and strict legal terms, it will be difficult for you to trigger extradition processes,” he added.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com