The Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, has been in detention at a Federal Bureau Investigations (FBI) facility for about 4 months due to allegations of financial crimes including money laundering and romance valued at $32 million. Mr. Ohene Frimpong (Independent), was arrested in Amsterdam while aboard a KLM flight that had landed at Schiphol Airport. The arrest which took place on Sunday, May 10, 2026 by Dutch authorities was reported to be linked to those allegations although the Dutch authorities are yet to release detailed information about his arrest.

At the time of his arrest in the Netherlands, the Parliament of Ghana was in recess from the first meeting spanning February to March this year. When the House commenced the second meeting (May – July), Mr. Ohene Frimpong had not reported for duty. Data gathered and visualised by Odekro, a not-for-profit civic technology organisation that closely follows the work of Parliament indicates that out of a total of 37 sittings during the second meeting of the second session, the Independent MP was Absent only 11 sittings and Absent with Permission 25. However, the record compiled by Parliament of Ghana and published daily in the Votes and Proceedings shows he was present on 28th July 2026. It is noteworthy that Mr. Ohene Frimpong since reports went out of his arrest on May 10 has not been seen within the precincts of parliament, not in his office or at a committee sitting or in the chamber of the House.

That notwithstanding, the record of the Asante Akim North MP for the second meeting as shown in the abovementioned does not warrant his expulsion from parliament. Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution provides that, “if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet”, therefore per the records Mr. Ohene Frimpong has only been absent without permission 11 in sittings and absent with permission in 25 sittings.

Here is a data visualisation of the attendance records of Ohene Kwame Frimpong (MP, Asante Akim North) in the second meeting of the second session of the ninth parliament:

Ohene Kwame Frimpong, 39, contested the 2024 general election as an independent candidate in a stronghold of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), defeating the then NPP MP Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi by 26,926 votes while Mr. Appiah-Kubi polled 8,933 votes. He was sworn into office beginning his first term of 4 years on January 6, 2025 as part of the Ninth Parliament and decided to business with the 185-Member NDC Caucus in Parliament along with 3 other Independent MPs to form the Majority Caucus numbering 189 Members. He is known as the first MP that made an entire submission in Twi on the floor during a debate departing from English as the preferred language of use in the House. The singular act earned him praise and commendation by his constituents in Agogo and surrounding villages as well as a section of the Ghanaian populace.