A search of INTERPOL’s public database does not currently reveal any public Red Notice in the name of Hon. Ohene Kwame Frimpong.
In any event, the absence of a public notice does not mean that no internal INTERPOL communication, diffusion, or other law enforcement alert existed.
Many Interpol Red Notices are not made public and remain visible only within Interpol’s secure internal law enforcement network.
At this stage, there are several possible ways in which the arrest warrant may have been handled:
It may have been circulated through Interpol, either as a formal Red Notice or as a diffusion or internal alert.
It may have been transmitted through a direct bilateral request from the United States to the Netherlands.
It is also possible, though less common, that Dutch authorities acted on their own intelligence or existing law enforcement information.
In practice, for airport transit stops such as those at Schiphol Airport, international police channels are often among the fastest and most effective mechanisms for identifying and detaining a foreign national who is the subject of an arrest request.
It is therefore possible that an alert existed within internal law enforcement systems, whether through Interpol or another international cooperation channel. Ghana’s National Central Bureau for Interpol, which sits within the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, would ordinarily have access to relevant Interpol communications where Ghana is properly notified or involved.
However, Interpol Ghana does not operate in complete isolation from Ghana’s broader law enforcement and prosecutorial structures.
In sensitive matters involving high-profile individuals, including a sitting Member of Parliament, internal documentation, coordination, and possible consultation with higher authorities such as the Attorney-General’s Department may be required before any significant action is taken.
This means that even if Ghanaian authorities received information relating to the matter, they may not have been able to act instantly or independently without following the appropriate legal and administrative procedures.
The Netherlands, by contrast, appears to have acted promptly on a United States-issued arrest warrant or request circulated through international law enforcement channels.
This would be consistent with the strong cooperation between the United States, the Netherlands, and other European partners in matters involving alleged financial crimes and money laundering investigations.
It is also important to note that the absence of a public Interpol Red Notice does not necessarily mean that no alert or warrant-related communication existed.
Interpol notices may be kept confidential, restricted to law enforcement agencies, or removed from public visibility after an arrest in order to protect ongoing investigations.
Bottom line: The fact that Hon. Ohene Kwame Frimpong’s name does not appear on Interpol’s public database does not conclusively mean that no international alert or arrest-related communication existed.
The detention at Schiphol Airport may have resulted from an internal Interpol communication, a diffusion, or a direct bilateral request from the United States to Dutch authorities.
Whether Ghana’s Interpol office received prior notification, and what action was taken if any notification was received, remains a matter best addressed by the Ghana Police Service, Interpol Ghana, or the Attorney-General’s Department.
