Ghana official arrested in U.S. on drug charges

CNN

ACCRA, Ghana (Reuters) -- A member of parliament for Ghana's ruling party has been arrested in the United States in connection with drug trafficking, a U.S. Embassy official said Monday.

The spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Ghana identified the arrested official as Eric Amoateng, a legislator from the New Patriotic Party who previously had applied for and obtained a U.S. visa.

He declined to provide further details.

Deputy Interior Minister Nkrabea Effah-Dartey told local radio Joy FM that anti-narcotics officials told him Monday of the arrest of Amoateng, who had attempted to claim diplomatic immunity.

The radio station said Amoateng was one of two Ghanaian men detained by U.S. police as they dismantled seven crates of pottery that concealed heroine flown from London, England.

A spokesman for the New Patriotic Party parliamentary group told Reuters that Amoateng had been absent from the legislature for nine days but declined to comment on the allegations.