It is quiet unbelievable in the eyes of Ghanaians to see a Member of Parliament (MP) being sentenced to serve a prison term for trafficking drugs.
But believe it or not it happened to the surprise of many Ghanaians. The story unfolds in the year 2005 when a sitting MP on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Eric Amoateng representing the Nkoranza North in the then Brong-Ahafo Region was arrested for drug trafficking in the United States of America (USA).
The MP frequently visited the USA for reason or the other but unknown to many, he was operating under the radar and trafficking cocaine if not in all of his travels, then most. Unfortunately for him, his luck eventually run out one day, and he was eventually busted in one of his trips to the US, and charged with drug trafficking.
This incident unfolded under the leadership of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, and when the story of ) Eric Amoateng broke, many prayed the US authorities may have mistaken a powder of kokonte for cocaine.
However, Ghanaians were in for a surprise as the trail ended with the MP being found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 year jail term in the USA.
This incident caused Ghanaians to lose hope in the Kufuor government as the government had been accused a number of times of being involved in drug trafficking and other activities. A widely remembered incident was when a large quantity of cocaine that had been seized from drug traffickers and in the custody of the Narcotics Control Board suddenly turned into dried cassava flour (kokonte) under the watchful eye of the Kufuor government.
Ten (10) years was short lived as the disgraced MP, ), Eric Amoateng completed his jail term and returned to Ghana after his release.
This means Eric Amoateng returned to Ghana in 2025, a heated period in the country’s politics when the 2016 elections was approaching.
It looks like Eric Amoateng played a key role in ensuring the NPP emerged victorious in the 2016 elections with Akufo-Addo being elected as president. As a reward for his role in ensuring victory for the party, Eric Amoateng received an appointment in the Akufo-Addo led government. His appointment shook the entire of Ghana as the position he was appointed to was not only a source of worry to Ghanaians, but tainted the nation’s image globally.
Eric Amoateng was given an appointment in no other place than the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), an agency set up to fight drug trafficking, a crime their new boss had been found guilty for.
It is said that during his time as board member of NACOB, the fight against drugs became quiet, with the board making no significant drug busts. This raised many questions with Ghanaians asking if Eric Amoateng used his expertise to stop drug trafficking completely or used his position to boom the drug trafficking business in the country.
However, NACOB came out to issue a statement stating Eric Amoateng was never on their board.
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The first ever Ghanaian MP who has been arrested, prosecuted and jailed in the United States for dealing in cocain was Eric Amoateng.
A member of parliament on the ticket of the NPP.
He was arrested in 2005. pic.twitter.com/NIcO7mvDPP— Mahama 2024 president (@CitizenTechiman) April 9, 2025
