NAM 1 extradition should be easy – Antwi-Danso refutes contrary views

International Relations expert, Dr Vladmir Antwi-Danso, has said the extradition of embattled CEO of Menzgold from Dubai should not be difficult as some have suggested.

His assertion comes on the back of concerns that the extradition process for Nana Appiah Mensah, known popularly as NAM 1, could prove daunting due to the absence of an extradition treaty between Ghana and the Gulf country.

However, Dr Danso told Class FM on Tuesday that “in most instances, countries sign bilateral agreements if they have not accented to an international multilateral agreement. Extradition is mostly bilateral and if Ghana and the Emirates have such a bilateral relationship, then it is not difficult at all for extradition...”

“In this case, the organisations must talk to each other and I think institutions are already in Dubai making things ready for him to get extradited”, Dr Antwi-Danso said, adding: “Our security agencies are also involved very seriously, and it means we’ve had some kind of links with the security agencies of the Emirates and, therefore, it's not going to be any fight at all; he is going to come home.”

Photo: Dr Antwi-Danso is also a security expert

Opposing view

This view runs counter to that of a law lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has said.

Justice Srem Sai told Joy News on Tuesday that the delegation sent to Dubai by the government to request the extradition of NAM1 will be based purely on diplomacy rather than law.

He explained to Joy News that this is because Ghana does not have an extradition treaty with the UAE.

“The Deputy Attorney General [Joseph Dindiok Kpemka] would have a lot of work to do in terms of diplomacy because the requested person, as we understand in the case, is already facing some criminal charges in the UAE.

“The period of time and has been detained as we have it, we don’t know whether it has been a series of detention and release or it is one-off detention. But the fact that from December 7, until now he is still working out his bail conditions also means it is a serious matter.

He said that is where the challenge will be for Mr Dindiok Kpemka.

A high-powered government delegation is in Dubai to press for the extradition of embattled Menzgold CEO.

Related: Gov't delegation heads to Dubai over NAM1 extradition

The delegation includes Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, a representative from the Economic Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security.

An Accra Circuit Court issued a warrant for his arrest last week but a press release by the police on Monday indicates that NAM1 has already been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital on December 7 after “a gold deal gone wrong.”

The police in the statement also said they have been to Dubai to see the fugitive in custody but failed to tell if it was prior to the arrest being issued on January 13 or after.

Justice Srem Sai, law lecturer at GIMPA

The Deputy Attorney General in an interview on Top Story on Joy FM said government is bent on bringing NAM1 to face the law and will not rest until that happens.

Related: Confirmed: NAM1 nabbed in Dubai more than one month ago

He said the delegation’s mission will be to “try to strike a deal with the government of the Emirates to see to the fact that he is brought back to Ghana to face justice.”

But law lecturer Srem Sai said it is an “almost impossible” task to extradite him to Ghana. 

He said this is because UAE law does not allow a person to leave the jurisdiction when he/she is facing criminal charges within the country.

“That I don’t think will be negotiable and if you look at the offence he is going to be charged with, he is likely to face between 10 to 25 years in jail. I don’t think the UAE authorities are going to allow him to be extradited to Ghana if he is found guilty,” he said. 

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