The Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has confirmed that Parliament and the Government of Ghana are actively engaging diplomatic and legal channels following the arrest and detention of the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Kwame Ohene Frimpong, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV, Hon. Dafeamekpor described the incident as “a big headache” that came as a surprise to Parliament and Ghanaian authorities.

According to him, the MP personally informed him of the arrest around 5am on Sunday while in transit from Accra through Amsterdam en route to London on what he described as a private trip.

“Indeed, it’s a big headache. Sunday, around 5am thereabouts, when he called me, I was the first person he called and told me about the issue,” he stated.

The Majority Chief Whip explained that upon receiving the information, he immediately escalated the matter to the Majority Leader, who was then in transit through Heathrow Airport in London. The Majority Leader subsequently travelled to Amsterdam to engage the detained MP and better understand the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Hon. Dafeamekpor disclosed that several high-level state officials and institutions have since been involved in efforts to address the matter, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ghana’s Ambassador to The Hague, the Attorney-General, and the Speaker of Parliament.

He further revealed that a Ghanaian lawyer based in The Hague, who is qualified to practice there, has been engaged to represent the MP.

“We have committed to this matter very well. We have a lawyer for him now… and he’s dealing with the issues,” he said.

The Chief Whip indicated that Parliament was still awaiting official documentation outlining the exact grounds for the arrest, stressing that authorities were proceeding cautiously pending receipt of authenticated records from prosecutors in Amsterdam.

“We want to urge all the media houses not to be throwing in things that haven’t been confirmed because even the reason for his arrest, we are yet to have the authenticated copy,” he cautioned.

He confirmed that preliminary requests from authorities had already been responded to by Parliament and other relevant institutions.

Touching on discussions around extradition and diplomatic immunity, Hon. Dafeamekpor noted that such matters were not unprecedented in international law, referencing cases involving former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet and Julian Assange.

“As for extradition, it has even happened to sitting presidents of countries… every lawyer of some repute knows this,” he stated.

The Majority Chief Whip urged the public, family members, and parliamentary colleagues of the MP to remain calm while diplomatic and legal processes continue.

He also addressed concerns being raised about Ghana’s relations with the United States, particularly comparisons being drawn between the current case and the unresolved extradition issues involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

While acknowledging public concerns, he noted that extradition treaties are governed by principles of reciprocity and international law.