The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Draman, has urged Parliament to exercise caution in dealing with the continued absence of the Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, saying his arrest alone is not enough to warrant the declaration of his seat vacant.
He said although the MP had reportedly been accused of committing an offence, he had not been convicted by any court and, therefore, remained innocent until proven guilty.
Context
Ohene Kwame Frimpong was arrested by Dutch security officials at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday, May 10, 2026. The arrest occurred on the tarmac immediately after his flight from Accra landed.
The MP is said to have been detained in connection with allegations of money laundering and romance scams.
His absence has generated public and political debate over whether his seat should be declared vacant under constitutional provisions on prolonged absenteeism.
Parliamentary leaders have, however, maintained that the matter must be handled within the law while the judicial process runs its course.
Ohene Kwame Frimpong was elected on December 7, 2024, and assumed office on January 7, 2025, as an independent MP, and he conducts parliamentary business with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) majority caucus.
Due process
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the continued MP’s absence from Parliament, Dr Draman said the Speaker had granted the MP permission to be absent from the House, making it inappropriate to invoke provisions on absenteeism.
"It is a dicey case and must be handled carefully," he said.
Dr Draman said Parliament must allow the judicial process to take its course before taking any decision that could affect the status of the MP.
He said declaring a seat vacant simply because an MP had been arrested could create an unhealthy precedent.
"If an MP is travelling and is apprehended somewhere and accused of a crime, you cannot declare the person's seat vacant simply because he or she has been arrested," he said.
He said the legal process should determine whether the MP was guilty or not before any constitutional consequences followed.
Dr Draman said he agreed with calls for clarity on the matter but supported the view that Parliament should proceed cautiously.
Legal gaps
The governance expert said the case had exposed gaps in the Constitution and Parliament's Standing Orders, particularly on how long an MP could remain absent under such circumstances before losing a seat.
He said the existing laws did not clearly address such situations.
"If the MP is eventually convicted of an offence that disqualifies him from holding office, then the necessary constitutional processes can be applied," he said.
He added that the current situation should inform future reforms of the legal framework governing Parliament.
