Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, has disclosed that two separate applications seeking the release on bail of the Asante Akyem North Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, have been rejected by the Dutch authorities, leaving the lawmaker in continued custody in Amsterdam.
Mr Dafeamekpor said the next major stage in the case will be the substantive extradition hearing, which has been scheduled for November 18, 2026.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, September 23, Mr Dafeamekpor said Parliament and the MP’s legal team were now preparing for the hearing as efforts continued to obtain clarity on the proceedings in the Netherlands.
“The extradition hearing will take place on the 18th of November 2026,” he 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 development means Mr Frimpong will remain in Dutch custody as the legal process concerning his possible extradition to the United States proceeds. Mr Dafeamekpor did not disclose the detailed reasons given by the Dutch authorities for rejecting the two applications.
Mr Frimpong was detained at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in May 2026 after travelling from Ghana. Parliament subsequently confirmed the detention and indicated that its leadership was engaging Ghana’s diplomatic mission in The Hague to obtain detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the matter.
The case has generated considerable public interest following reports that the detention is connected to an investigation involving alleged financial offences. Earlier reports have linked the matter to allegations of fraud and money laundering, although the available public record has not established Mr Frimpong’s guilt, and previous parliamentary statements have cautioned against treating unverified allegations as established facts.
Mr Dafeamekpor has previously urged media organisations and the public to exercise restraint in reporting details of the case until the relevant legal documents are officially obtained. In May, he said Parliament and the legal team were still awaiting authenticated documentation concerning the arrest and detention, while also confirming that legal representation had been secured for the MP in the Netherlands.
He reiterated that Parliament was now concentrating on the substantive proceedings scheduled for November.
“So we are preparing to deal with the substantive hearing of the matter on the 18th of November,” he said.
The Majority Chief Whip further disclosed that Parliament was preparing a statement concerning the current status of the detained legislator. The statement is expected to provide an institutional update as parliamentary leadership continues to monitor the case and engage the relevant diplomatic and legal authorities.
Mr Frimpong’s detention began after his arrival at Schiphol Airport while travelling through the Netherlands. Parliament had earlier confirmed that he was detained at the airport and that the Speaker and parliamentary leadership were in contact with Ghana’s diplomatic mission in The Hague in an effort to establish the full circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Earlier reporting also indicated that the MP was travelling on a diplomatic passport and that Ghanaian authorities, including the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Attorney General and Ghana’s Ambassador to The Hague, had become involved in efforts to understand and respond to the legal and diplomatic implications of his detention.
The November 18 hearing is therefore expected to become a significant point in determining the next stage of the proceedings, particularly as the Dutch judicial process considers the request relating to his possible extradition to the United States.
Until the hearing takes place and the relevant legal documents are placed on the record, the precise substance of the allegations and the evidence underlying the extradition request remain matters for the appropriate judicial authorities.
For now, Mr Frimpong remains in custody in Amsterdam, while Parliament, his legal representatives and Ghanaian diplomatic officials continue to monitor the proceedings ahead of the scheduled November hearing.
