TWO BAIL ATTEMPTS FOR DETAINED ASANTE AKYEM NORTH MP REJECTED IN NETHERLANDS

Two attempts to secure bail for detained Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament Ohene Kwame Frimpong have been rejected in the Netherlands, as the lawmaker prepares for a substantive extradition hearing scheduled for November 18.

Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor disclosed the latest development on Wednesday, September 23, saying Frimpong remains in Dutch custody several months after his detention at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

According to Dafeamekpor, Frimpong's legal team first made a substantive application for bail before pursuing an appeal. Both attempts were unsuccessful.

"The extradition hearing will take place on the 18th of November 2026," Dafeamekpor told Citi FM's Eyewitness News.

He said the MP remains in the custody of Dutch authorities in Amsterdam while preparations continue for the November proceedings.

Frimpong was detained at Schiphol Airport in May after travelling from Ghana.

Parliament subsequently confirmed his detention and said its leadership was engaging Ghana's diplomatic mission in The Hague to obtain further information and provide appropriate consular assistance.

The case has since developed into an extradition process involving a request from the United States.

Frimpong has been linked in media reports to allegations involving financial crimes, including money laundering and romance scams. Those allegations have not been proven in court, and the MP is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Earlier in the case, his legal representatives disputed some of the claims circulating publicly and stressed that no court had established his guilt.

Dafeamekpor has similarly cautioned against treating allegations against the MP as established facts while the legal proceedings remain unresolved.

The rejection of the two bail attempts means Frimpong is expected to remain in Dutch custody as his lawyers prepare for the next major stage of the case.

The November 18 hearing will focus on the substantive extradition proceedings and whether the legal requirements for transferring him to the United States have been satisfied.

An extradition hearing is not itself a determination of guilt or innocence regarding the underlying allegations. It concerns whether a person can legally be surrendered to another jurisdiction to face the relevant proceedings there.

The case has attracted considerable attention in Ghana because Frimpong remains a sitting Member of Parliament while being detained abroad.

Parliament lists him as the Independent MP for Asante Akim North.

His prolonged absence has also generated questions about parliamentary representation for his constituency and how the House will deal with his status if the detention continues.

Dafeamekpor said Parliament is preparing a statement concerning the MP's situation as the legal process develops.

For now, Frimpong remains in Dutch custody, with November 18 set as the next significant date in a case that has continued for more than four months.