The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has disclosed that key state institutions, including the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Department, have been actively engaged following the detention of the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North in the Netherlands.
According to Mr Dafeamekpor, who is also the MP for South Dayi, the incident occurred on Sunday, and he was informed early that morning, prompting immediate action.
He said the matter was promptly escalated to parliamentary leadership, after which the Majority Leader made direct contact with officials in the Netherlands to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the detention.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, May 13, Mr Dafeamekpor revealed that the coordinated response now involves several high-level state actors, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ghana’s Ambassador to The Hague, the Attorney-General, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Clerk to Parliament.
He explained that the Attorney-General’s involvement is particularly important because of legal considerations linked to the Rome Statute and matters relating to the MP’s diplomatic passport.
Mr Dafeamekpor disclosed that Parliament has secured the services of a Ghanaian lawyer based in The Hague to represent the detained MP, with ongoing engagements between legal teams and relevant authorities.
He assured that the detained Member of Parliament is in good condition and that diplomatic and legal processes are progressing to resolve the situation.
Mr Dafeamekpor stressed that although the MP’s trip was private, the use of a diplomatic passport necessitated the full involvement of state institutions and Parliament.
He added that all relevant bodies have been working collaboratively since Sunday to address the issue effectively.