Amoateng?s lawyers hope for his acquittal

Counsel for the Ghanaian MP standing trial for drug trafficking in the US say they are optimistic that he would be acquitted of the charge.

The Nkoranza MP, Eric Amoateng and his accomplice Nii Okai Adjei are charged with conspiracy to transport and distribute heroin in the United States, contrary to Federal Law.

The two men were arrested in New York two months ago for allegedly smuggling heroin with a street value of 6 million dollars.

They both appeared before the New York Eastern District Court yesterday.

After the hearing, lawyers for the MP Dennis Adjei-Brenyah and John Patton told JOY News Correspondent Kofi Abotchie they were exploring a number of options prior to the substantive trial including bail for Mr. Amoateng.

? He doesn?t want to have too much delays, he wants to resolve this somehow. So we?ve also told him that it takes time and he has to be patient. The videotapes and other materials that we saw earlier were pretty much what we expected.

To be honest I think it is critical, it not harmful to us, its okay and we intend to make an application for bail but don?t know if the court will respond to it but as indicated by the judge, we will go back to the magistrate who was handling the case in the pre-trial.

If we go there to make our case fine, if not we will come back to him to review the situation.

But yes that was one of our plans to get him out of there and I?m talking entirely and only about Eric Amoateng because the other guy has no counsel.

We are not entirely sure about the kind of package that is going to be at stake but it is in his interest and it?s our commitment to try to do that,? he said.

Meanwhile the hearing has been scheduled for the 24th of February.