Ohene Kwame Frimpong, known as OK Frimpong, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North in Ghana, has been named in an 18-count US federal indictment. The indictment alleges his involvement in a multi-year scheme to launder money stolen from romance-scam victims in America. Court documents show that the Federal Bureau of Investigation spent about five years assembling evidence before the case became public. Frimpong's name is cited alongside co-conspirators Shadrack Yaw Gyasi and Martin Misinu.
The indictment details a complex money laundering scheme involving various bank accounts in the US, China, and India. It alleges that Frimpong opened a bank account in the name of New Grace Restaurants, a Chicago eatery he reportedly inherited from his parents, in July 2020. Within weeks, the account was used to receive fraudulent proceeds. One victim, identified as Victim C, wired $515,000 into the account a month after it was opened.
The alleged scheme involved multiple accounts and co-conspirators. A second account was opened in August 2020 in the name of a shell company called Grace Restaurants Ltd, which received $480,612 from another victim. Large sums were then wired to business accounts in China and India within days. Further accounts, opened at Chase Bank and other US institutions, were used to receive and redirect hundreds of thousands of dollars more from at least four other victims between 2020 and 2022.
The indictment also details the fictional personas and storylines used to extract money from victims. In one instance, co-conspirators posed as a romantic partner named "Hannah Garvey" and convinced a victim that she had inherited gold and diamonds worth $40 million to $50 million, but needed help covering fees and taxes. This story allegedly netted more than $480,000 between August 2020 and January 2021.
A larger alleged scheme involved a persona called "Juliana Alina," whose father was falsely said to have owned a gold mine in Johannesburg and left her gold bars that required payment of taxes and duties. This storyline was used to extract more than $2 million from a single victim, identified as Victim C, between July 2019 and April 2022. The documents allege that some of the money eventually reached Ghana, with $167,210 transferred to a Ghana-based bank account controlled by Frimpong in April 2022.
The case raises questions about parliamentary accountability in Ghana, as Frimpong is a sitting MP facing a US federal indictment on money laundering and fraud charges. It also highlights the constituents of Asante Akyem North, who have gone an extended period without active representation while the matter plays out. The allegations underscore Ghana's exposure to transnational fraud networks that use romance scams to extract money from vulnerable victims.
The indictment is a formal accusation issued by a grand jury, based on evidence presented by prosecutors, that Frimpong should stand trial on specific criminal charges. It is not a conviction, and Frimpong is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The next stages of the case, including a trial date or arraignment schedule, have not been made public.
Key points
- The US indictment against OK Frimpong involves an alleged multi-year romance scam money laundering scheme.
- The scheme allegedly involved multiple accounts in the US, China, and India, and extracted over $2 million from a single victim.
- The case raises questions about parliamentary accountability in Ghana and the country's exposure to transnational fraud networks.
