"I trafficked heroin in May 2003, May 2005 & Nov. 2005 to US" - Amoateng
A pre-sentence investigation report prepared by US prosecutors has revealed that between May 2003, May 2005 and November 2005, Eric Amoateng, the Ex-New Patriotic party (NPP) MP busted in the US for drug trafficking, exported heroin into the US alone on three occasions.
The report, corroborated by his partner, Nii Adjei, also suggests that Amoateng, Nii Adjei and others exported marijuana into the US on at least three instances.
Nii Adjei, who pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiring with Amoateng and others to traffic drugs into the US, also confirmed that he and his partner had made such trips.
The investigation report also suggests that Amoateng owned flashy cars, including Mercedes Benz, luxury pick-Ups, hotels, tractors and that he supported a lavish lifestyle funded with by his drug trafficking business.
Responding to the pre-sentence investigation report, counsel for Amoateng, John D. Patten, in a letter dated November 30, 2007, confirmed that indeed his client was a serial trafficker of hard narcotic drugs into the US.
"The defendant (Eric Amoateng) made only two trips with Nii Adjei. One in May 2005 and a second trip in November 2005.
The defendant imported heroin into the United States on three occasions. There was a trip in May 2003, (Nii Adjei not involved) and two trips in 2005," the lawyer confirmed.
Amoateng's counsel, however, denied the allegation of exporting marijuana into the US on at least three occasions, saying, "Paragraph 13, 14, 15 and 18 make mention of the defendant (Amoateng) being with Nii Adjei in the importation of Marijuana on at least three instances. The defendant was not involved in these importations. He did not import Marijuana into the United States."
Amoateng's lawyer also made some representations, which could send Amoateng back for perjury if US investigators carry out intentions of cross-checking his statements on his assets in Ghana.
For example, counsel for Amoateng said "the defendant owned a fourteen-year-old Mercedes Benz, he never built or owned any hotels, people bought two pick-ups for him and the tractors mentioned were hired at a cost of $4, 200."
The investigation report stated that Amoateng threatened Nii Adjei to take full responsibility for the November 2005 importation of heroin into the US so that he could walk free, a situation which nearly landed him in another trouble for obstruction of justice.
Counsel for Amoateng, John D. Patten, admitted Amoateng's plot, saying "The defendant, admits his involvement in the false plan to have Nii Adjei take full responsibility for the November 2005 importation. At no time did he ever threaten Nii Adjei."
During his guilty plea, Nii Adjei, a Ghanaian who holds a Canadian passport by virtue of his marriage with a Canadian woman, told the US District court in Brooklyn that the drugs were concealed in crates, which housed ceramics they had imported to the US. He added that Amoateng had informed him that the drug was cocaine, even though it turned out to be heroin, when tested in a US Lab.
Nii Adjei said that Amoateng had asked him to go and sign certain papers at the JFK airport to clear the consignment which had been concealed in ceramics adding that his role was just to get the drugs out of the airport and into the city.
"I trafficked heroin in May 2003, May 2005 & Nov. 2005 to US" - Amoateng
A pre-sentence investigation report prepared by US prosecutors has revealed that between May 2003, May 2005 and November 2005, Eric Amoateng, the Ex-New Patriotic party (NPP) MP busted in the US for drug trafficking, exported heroin into the US alone on three occasions.
The report, corroborated by his partner, Nii Adjei, also suggests that Amoateng, Nii Adjei and others exported marijuana into the US on at least three instances.
Nii Adjei, who pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiring with Amoateng and others to traffic drugs into the US, also confirmed that he and his partner had made such trips.
The investigation report also suggests that Amoateng owned flashy cars, including Mercedes Benz, luxury pick-Ups, hotels, tractors and that he supported a lavish lifestyle funded with by his drug trafficking business.
Responding to the pre-sentence investigation report, counsel for Amoateng, John D. Patten, in a letter dated November 30, 2007, confirmed that indeed his client was a serial trafficker of hard narcotic drugs into the US.
"The defendant (Eric Amoateng) made only two trips with Nii Adjei. One in May 2005 and a second trip in November 2005.
The defendant imported heroin into the United States on three occasions. There was a trip in May 2003, (Nii Adjei not involved) and two trips in 2005," the lawyer confirmed.
Amoateng's counsel, however, denied the allegation of exporting marijuana into the US on at least three occasions, saying, "Paragraph 13, 14, 15 and 18 make mention of the defendant (Amoateng) being with Nii Adjei in the importation of Marijuana on at least three instances. The defendant was not involved in these importations. He did not import Marijuana into the United States."
Amoateng's lawyer also made some representations, which could send Amoateng back for perjury if US investigators carry out intentions of cross-checking his statements on his assets in Ghana.
For example, counsel for Amoateng said "the defendant owned a fourteen-year-old Mercedes Benz, he never built or owned any hotels, people bought two pick-ups for him and the tractors mentioned were hired at a cost of $4, 200."
The investigation report stated that Amoateng threatened Nii Adjei to take full responsibility for the November 2005 importation of heroin into the US so that he could walk free, a situation which nearly landed him in another trouble for obstruction of justice.
Counsel for Amoateng, John D. Patten, admitted Amoateng's plot, saying "The defendant, admits his involvement in the false plan to have Nii Adjei take full responsibility for the November 2005 importation. At no time did he ever threaten Nii Adjei."
During his guilty plea, Nii Adjei, a Ghanaian who holds a Canadian passport by virtue of his marriage with a Canadian woman, told the US District court in Brooklyn that the drugs were concealed in crates, which housed ceramics they had imported to the US. He added that Amoateng had informed him that the drug was cocaine, even though it turned out to be heroin, when tested in a US Lab.
Nii Adjei said that Amoateng had asked him to go and sign certain papers at the JFK airport to clear the consignment which had been concealed in ceramics adding that his role was just to get the drugs out of the airport and into the city.
