Counsel for Eric Amoateng, Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North currently under arrest in the US, is due in the country on Tuesday, February 6. The US-based lawyer’s trip, he told the Ghanaian Times, was to discuss "some pertinent issues" with Parliament, hopefully before the Privileges Committee of the House re-opens discussions and takes a decision on his client’s continued absence from Parliament. Speaking from New York, Dennis Adjei-Brenyah, the lawyer, told the Times that his client gave him an important message for Parliament when he visited him in custody on Wednesday. "I am going to appeal to the Speaker of Parliament to let me appear before the august House to deliver a message from Eric Amoateng before the House pronounces any judgement on him," Mr. Adjei-Brenyah said. When pressed to disclose the content of the message, he said "The Pandora’s box will be opened in Parliament." He said the MP was "in high spirits." And in response to a question as to whether the MP is considering resigning his position, Mr. Adjei-Brenyah said: "The onus lies on the MP to decide whether to resign or not." Mr. Amoateng’s continued absence from Parliament was raised by the Speaker, Mr. Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes, on Tuesday when Parliament reconvened after a six-week recess. He asked the Privileges Committee to review the matter. "With the passage of time and the commencement of a new session and in accordance with Standing Orders 27 and 62, I direct the Privileges Committee to reconsider the matter and report back to the House," the Speaker said. Mr. Amoateng took leave of absence in November 2005 to visit the United States but was arrested for alleged narcotic drug trafficking and is standing trial. He has however pleaded not guilty. The House in March 2006 took a decision to allow his continued absence from parliament for due process of the law to take its course. Source: The Ghanaian Times