BY DANIEL BAMPOE
The legal battle surrounding detained Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, has entered another critical phase after Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, disclosed that two separate applications seeking the legislator’s release on bail have been rejected by Dutch authorities.
Frimpong remains in custody in Amsterdam as Ghanaian parliamentary and legal authorities prepare for the substantive extradition proceedings scheduled for November 18, 2026.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, September 23, Dafeamekpor confirmed that the legal team had made two attempts to secure temporary freedom for the MP — one substantive bail application and another appeal — but neither was successful.
“The extradition hearing will take place on the 18th of November 2026,” Dafeamekpor said.
“He’s still in custody. He’s still in the hands of the Dutch government in Amsterdam. We have done two applications, one substantive, one appeal for his bail, but they all got refused.”
The latest development means the legislator will remain in Dutch custody while preparations continue for the extradition hearing, where the circumstances surrounding the United States’ request for his transfer are expected to come under substantive consideration.
Frimpong was arrested at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in May 2026 after travelling from Ghana. His detention quickly became a major national issue after Parliament officially confirmed that the Asante Akyem North MP had been taken into custody by Dutch authorities.
Following the arrest, Parliament disclosed that its leadership was engaging Ghana’s diplomatic mission in The Hague to obtain detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the detention.
The case has reportedly been linked to allegations involving romance scams and money laundering, with the United States authorities said to be pursuing legal proceedings connected to an international financial crimes investigation.
OK Frimpong has previously disputed aspects of the allegations surrounding his detention. In an earlier interview from custody, he said that the only allegation communicated to him at the time of his arrest was money laundering, while denying reports linking him to some of the larger sums being circulated on social media.
The Charges: Prosecutors in the United States have leveled an 18-count federal indictment against Frimpong and two alleged co-conspirators, Shadrack Yaw Gyasi and Martin Misinu. The charges include wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.
The Scheme: According to court documents, the operation began around 2019. Victims were allegedly targeted through fake romantic relationships built on elaborate lies involving fake inheritances, gold, and legal fees needed to unlock
The indictment claims that more than $2 million in fraudulent proceeds from at least six victims was funneled through Chicago bank accounts and shell companies. Specifically, prosecutors allege Frimpong used a family-owned restaurant business in Chicago called New Grace Restaurants to receive and move the funds before wiring them to accounts in China, India, and Ghana. One single victim reportedly transferred over $2 million over several years
Frimpong was arrested in the Netherlands in May 2026. He has vehemently denied all wrongdoing and any involvement in romance scams. The case is currently pending before the U.S. federal court system. Under the law, the allegations remain unproven, and Frimpong is presumed innocent until proven guilt
His legal team has also maintained that the allegations must be tested through due process and that the MP remains entitled to the presumption of innocence until a competent court determines otherwise.
The latest setback follows earlier efforts by Parliament and Ghanaian authorities to provide legal and consular assistance to the detained lawmaker.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also disclosed in July that Ghana’s diplomatic mission in The Hague had been providing consular assistance to Frimpong and engaging his family, legal representatives and Dutch authorities.
Ablakwa further revealed that he personally visited the detained MP in The Hague on May 24 and later raised the matter with Dutch Minister for Justice and Security David van Weel during a meeting on July 21.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Dutch government had assured him that due process would be respected and that the rights of the Ghanaian lawmaker would be protected.
The prolonged detention has also generated a separate constitutional debate in Ghana over the future of the Asante Akyem North parliamentary seat.
OK Frimpong has been unable to attend parliamentary sittings because of his detention abroad, raising questions about Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides grounds for a Member of Parliament to lose his seat after being absent from fifteen sittings without the required permission and explanation.
