Accra: Following the arrest of Asante Akyem North MP, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, several questions have been raised about why his diplomatic passport and parliamentary status could not prevent his arrest in the Netherlands. Speaking in an interview with Gossips24 Avenue on May 18, 2026, international lawyer and GIMPA lecturer Pamela Serena NanTogmah explained why the FBI was still able to facilitate the arrest of the MP despite his status as a sitting legislator in Ghana. According to Ghana Web, Pamela Serena NanTogmah clarified that the MP's immunity from arrest under Ghana's 1992 Constitution applies only within Ghana's territorial jurisdiction. She elaborated that Article 117 of the Constitution grants certain protections to Members of Parliament while they are within Ghana, but such protections do not automatically extend beyond the country's borders. She further noted that the only form of international arrest immunity the MP could have enjoyed would have been under the Vienna Convention if he were a head o f state, an incumbent foreign affairs minister, or an accredited diplomat. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations affords immunities to certain categories of persons, including heads of state, heads of government, accredited diplomats, and incumbent foreign affairs ministers. Pamela Serena NanTogmah explained that OK Frimpong's immunity is limited to the jurisdiction of Ghana, meaning he enjoys that immunity only within the country. Once he leaves Ghana, that constitutional immunity is no longer automatic because he has entered an international jurisdiction. Pamela Serena NanTogmah also mentioned that although the United States has the right to request the arrest of OK Frimpong if there are valid charges against him, international law still requires that he be treated with dignity and respect throughout the process. She dismissed the notion that the United States was legally required to inform Ghana before effecting the arrest, stating that internationally, when a state issues an arrest warrant, it d oes not have an obligation to alert the country of the person being arrested. However, if the MP had been a sitting foreign affairs minister or belonged to any of the categories protected under the Vienna Convention, then it would have amounted to a clear violation of international law.
- May 21, 2026
