In an interview with Voice of Amrica (VOA), the majority leader in parliament, Felix Owusu-Agyepong, said the New Patriotic Party?s (NPP) vetting committee did appropriately scrutinize Mr. Eric Amoateng, who is now in police custody in the United States on drug charges, before he was confirmed as a candidate for parliament.
But he says the legislator misled the body when he asked for permission to leave the country. Mr. Amoateng reportedly told parliamentary officials that he wanted to go to the United States to visit a sick daughter in New York City.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party in parliament, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the majority NPP failed to properly screen Amoateng, who was arrested early last week at JFK Airport in New York, when he and an accomplice were found with six million dollars worth of heroine.
listen to interview with Felix Owusu-Agyepong
No show on case of prisoner number 63795053
Chiefs from his village bombarded us to pick him, pleads Majority leader
Chronicle -- The hearing of the case of drug trafficking charge preferred against the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North, Mr. Eric Amoateng and an accomplice in New York Eastern district court, could not come off yesterday, because the courts were closed for thanksgiving, a public holiday in the United States of America.Court prosecutor Robert Nadoza, was not immediately available to indicate when the next date would be. However, the general feeling was that most employers would be taking today, for an extended holiday: hence it is likely to be on Monday.
Nana Bonsu Busia, the solicitors for embattled Amoateng is due to arrive in the U.S this weekend to arrange another assistant to enable him face the eastern district courts.
Eric Amoateng has already been tagged in the Metropolitan Detention Centre with prison number 63795053.
Meanwhile, an interview monitored on the VOA says the privileges committee in parliament is working on disciplinary measures to officially expel the MP Amoateng from the house.
Kofi Abotchie of the VOA asked the Majority leader Felix Owusu Agyepong, when a bye election was likely to take place, to which he replied, "the disciplinary committee is going to furnish the house with its report, which the Speaker will communicate to the electoral commission and then the procedure will continue."
In the interview, Mr. Owusu Adjepong also told Kofi Abotchie that Eric Amoateng deceived the House by saying that he was attending to his sick daughter in the U.S.
He said parliament would henceforth scrutinize excuses put across by MPs before granting them leave.
Asked how much of background check was conducted on Amoateng before accepting him as a candidate of the NPP, Mr Owusu Agyepong said they tried their best, but elders and chiefs of his village stormed the party headquarters urging them that he was the preferred candidate because he had sponsored many development projects in the area.
