Our officials cannot be plucked away – Barker-Vormawor reacts to MP’s arrest in Netherlands

Lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has reacted to reports surrounding the detention of Asante Akyem North MP Kwame Ohene Frimpong in the Netherlands.

In a social media post, sighted by MyNewsGh, Barker-Vormawor questioned reports claiming the MP may have been arrested at the request of US authorities.

“If the news that the MP was arrested at the request of the US Government is true, I think we need to summon the US envoy immediately,” he wrote.

He argued that Ghanaian authorities should have been informed beforehand if foreign agencies were pursuing investigations involving a public official.

“If they withheld critical information from our intelligence services and laid traps outside for our officials, then I think it is unacceptable,” he stated.

According to him, Ghana must insist on mutual respect in its international relationships.

“We are a sovereign nation that must be treated with respect. Our public officials cannot be plucked away in traps set abroad, without so much as the courtesy of prior communication,” he added.

Barker-Vormawor also questioned whether similar treatment would be accepted by the United States if the situation were reversed.

“Are we sure we could arrange the arrest of a US Congressman under such circumstances?” he asked.

Parliament earlier confirmed that Kwame Ohene Frimpong had been detained at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. A statement from the Clerk to Parliament said the Speaker and parliamentary leadership were engaging Ghana’s mission in The Hague to gather details on the matter.

Unconfirmed reports linked the detention to alleged financial crime investigations connected to a business in Chicago said to have been under scrutiny by US law enforcement agencies. No official charges have yet been publicly announced.

-mynewsgh