A scandal involving two suspicious flights landing at Kotoka International Airport has sparked controversy in Ghana, with President John Mahama facing questions over the incident.
The flights, AirMed Flight N823AM and Cavok Air Antonov An-12B, allegedly carried suspected cocaine and cash from Gran Canaria, a location known for drug trafficking and money laundering.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Nyarko Osei, has hinted that the committee will summon the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, to answer critical questions surrounding the two aircraft.
In a post shared on his official Facebook page, the Akim Swedru MP outlined a comprehensive list of 27 questions that the committee intends to pose to the Transport Minister in the coming days.
The questions range from the exact manifest of passengers on board the Cavok Air private jet to the purpose of their travel to or from Ghana. Other questions include:
– Flight Plan and Route: What was the filed flight plan for N823AM? Were there any changes to the flight plan mid-journey, and if so, why?
– Maintenance and Repairs: What specific maintenance was needed that engineers in Ghana couldn’t solve, and they had to fly a private jet to bring people to fix?
– Spare Parts and Cargo: What was the exact nature of the spare parts being transported? Were these parts declared in the cargo manifest?
– Security and Surveillance: Were there any unusual flight patterns or deviations from the standard route? What communications occurred between the flight crew and air traffic control during the flight?
President Mahama has responded to the allegations, stating that his government has zero tolerance for using Ghana as a transit or final destination for drugs or drug trafficking.
He has directed all relevant investigative agencies to collaborate with Rev. John Ntim Fordjour to investigate the allegations and take necessary action.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour, the Assin South Member of Parliament, has alleged that the two suspicious flights landed at Kotoka International Airport from Gran Canaria, a location known for drug trafficking and money laundering. Intelligence suggests these flights carried suspected cocaine and cash.
The Minority has demanded full disclosure of the cargo contents to assure Ghanaians of airspace security.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour stated, “Ghana in the past eight years, had been ranked favourably by notable global organisations as the second most peaceful country in Africa in respect of crime rate and globally, ahead of Australia and Canada”.
However, as the investigation unfolds, Ghanaians await answers to the questions raised by Kennedy Nyarko Osei.
