U.S. COURT DOCUMENTS DETAIL ALLEGED ROMANCE SCAM MONEY TRAIL INVOLVING GHANA MP

 

Newly surfaced U.S. court documents have detailed allegations involving Asante Akim North Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, in an alleged financial fraud and money-laundering scheme involving proceeds said to have originated from romance scams targeting victims in the United States.

According to the court documents, investigators allege that bank accounts associated with businesses linked to Mr Frimpong received substantial sums of money allegedly obtained from victims of romance fraud.

The documents allege that one victim, identified as Victim C, transferred more than US$2 million over a period spanning 2019 to 2022 after allegedly being deceived by individuals posing as a romantic partner and making claims involving an inheritance and gold.

The court filing further alleges that other victims transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars into accounts allegedly connected to the scheme.

Alleged movement of funds

Prosecutors allege that funds were moved through several bank accounts in the United States before portions of the money were transferred internationally.

According to the documents, some of the alleged proceeds were transferred to accounts connected to China, India and Ghana.

In one transaction cited in the court documents, approximately US$400,000 was allegedly transferred from an account associated with a restaurant business to accounts in China and India.

The documents also allege that, in another series of transactions, more than US$167,000 was transferred from a U.S. bank account to a Ghana-based account allegedly controlled by Mr Frimpong.

The filings describe several other transactions involving victims who allegedly transferred amounts ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Arrest in the Netherlands

Mr Frimpong was detained at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in May 2026, in connection with allegations involving fraud and money laundering. Ghana's Parliament confirmed his detention at the time and said parliamentary leadership was communicating with Ghana's diplomatic mission in The Hague for further information.

The case has since involved legal proceedings in the Netherlands. In May, reports indicated that lawyers representing the MP had filed a bail application while Dutch authorities investigated the allegations.

MP denies involvement

Mr Frimpong has denied involvement in romance scams and has rejected allegations made against him.

Ghanaian parliamentary officials have also cautioned against drawing conclusions before the legal process is completed. In May, Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor said the allegations had not been established by a court and stressed that Mr Frimpong remained entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Allegations remain before the court

The allegations contained in the U.S. court documents have not been established as facts through a final conviction. They are allegations made in legal proceedings, and Mr Frimpong is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until a competent court determines otherwise.

The case remains subject to legal proceedings and further developments in the United States and the Netherlands.