ACEPA Urges Parliament to Hold Off on Asante Akyem North Vacancy Decision

The African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) has urged Parliament to refrain from declaring the Asante Akyem North parliamentary seat vacant while legal proceedings against the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Kwame Ohene Frimpong, remain ongoing in the Netherlands.

The intervention comes as debate continues over the status of the seat following the independent lawmaker’s arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on May 8 on allegations linked to money laundering and an alleged romance scam. Mr. Frimpong remains in detention as Dutch authorities pursue the case.

ACEPA’s Executive Director, Dr. Rasheed Draman, argued that Parliament should resist making a constitutional determination before the courts have concluded the matter, stressing that the country’s democratic institutions must uphold the principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Speaking to Citi News, Dr. Draman said the MP has not yet had the opportunity to defend himself before a court and therefore cannot be treated as though he has already been convicted.

He explained that only a conviction would trigger the legal consequences that could ultimately affect the MP’s eligibility to remain in Parliament, making any immediate declaration of vacancy both premature and potentially inconsistent with the principles of natural justice.

Dr. Draman also pointed to what he described as a legal grey area in Ghana’s constitutional and parliamentary framework concerning prolonged absence from Parliament due to criminal proceedings outside the country.

According to him, existing laws provide limited guidance on how long an elected representative can remain unable to perform parliamentary duties before questions about representation arise, suggesting that the issue may require future legal or legislative clarification.

The comments follow Parliament’s confirmation on May 12 that it had officially been notified of Mr. Frimpong’s detention by Dutch authorities.

Meanwhile, the government says it continues to provide consular support to the MP. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa recently disclosed that Ghana’s embassy in The Hague has maintained contact with Dutch authorities, the MP’s legal representatives and his family to ensure his legal rights are protected throughout the judicial process.

The case is expected to test both Ghana’s constitutional provisions on parliamentary representation and the balance between due process and the need to ensure effective representation for constituents while an elected lawmaker faces criminal proceedings abroad.