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Ghana has requested the extradition of a Russian man accused of illegally recording his sexual encounters with several women and sharing the videos online without their consent.<\/p>\n
African and Russian media identified him as a self-styled “pick-up artist” and online blogger in his thirties who had travelled to Ghana to secretly film his interactions with women.<\/p>\n
Outlets in both countries claimed the man used a pair of sunglasses fitted with a camera to film some encounters and circulated them on social media, though officials did not confirm this.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Sam George, Ghana’s technology minister, said he had invited the Russian ambassador to discuss the alleged incident.<\/p>\n
A Ghanaian official said an initial investigation had established the suspect had likely left the country.<\/p>\n
He added that did “not reduce the seriousness of the alleged conduct or the state’s responsibility to pursue accountability”.<\/p>\n
George said he had asked the Russian ambassador in the capital city Accra for Moscow’s cooperation in getting justice for the victims.<\/p>\n
However, Russia does not extradite its citizens, except in extreme circumstances.<\/p>\n
The minister told BBC News: “I have invited the Russian ambassador in Ghana for a meeting.<\/p>\n
“The actions of the Russian citizen flout our cyber-security laws. I will officially indicate to the ambassador our official position.”<\/p>\n
Earlier, he told reporters: “That gentleman will be looked for, we will activate every resource in our disposal working with Interpol.<\/p>\n
“We will request the Russian authorities \u2013 and that is why I have invited the Russian ambassador \u2013 to work with our law enforcement.<\/p>\n
“We want the gentleman to be brought back to Ghana, extradited to Ghana for him to face the rigours of our law.”<\/p>\n
George said they would try the suspect in absentia if he failed to return to Ghana.<\/p>\n
Local media report the same man had been involved in similar illegal acts in Kenya.<\/p>\n
Under Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act 2020, anyone who publishes explicit images of children or adults without full consent can face up to 25 years in prison.<\/p>\n
Authorities in Ghana have been paying increasing attention to online abuse, including sexual extortion and romance scams.<\/p>\n
There has been an increase in arrests in recent years for these offences.<\/p>\n
In 2022, a court sentenced a 22-year-old phone repairer, Solomon Doga, to 14 years in prison for sharing nude images of a Lebanese woman.<\/p>\n
He pleaded guilty to sexual extortion and non-consensual sharing of intimate images.<\/p>\n
Ghana also introduced new laws under the Cybersecurity Act 2020 to punish those who share nude photos or videos online, especially of women and children, often for revenge or blackmail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n