The ongoing calls for an investigation into two suspicious flights that landed in Ghana in March have taken a dramatic and personal turn. What began as concerns raised by Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, has escalated into a public feud with government officials, with both sides hurling personal accusations in a bid to forcefully defend their positions.
The Assin South MP, Rev. Ntim Fordjour first raised the alarm regarding two aircraft – AirMed Flight N823AM and Cavok Air Antonov An-12B – suspected of trafficking cocaine and cash into the country.
At a press conference on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, he again stressed that one of the aircraft, AirMed Flight N823AM, landed in Ghana on March 20 and remained for five days without any documentation of patient transportation.
President John Dramani Mahama in a bid to get to the bottom of the matter, immediately ordered security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter. Here are excerpts of a statement from the presidency:
“My attention has been drawn to allegations made at a press conference by an Honourable Member of Parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, regarding two suspicious flights arriving at Kotoka International Airport, suspected to be involved in drug trafficking and money laundering,” John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama), April 1, 2025.
“This matter requires urgent clarification. I have instructed the appropriate agencies to investigate and provide a full report on these flights,” Mr. Mahama stated in a tweet.
The President urged the security agencies to “immediately and fully collaborate with the Honourable Member of Parliament, so he provides all necessary information to investigate the allegations and take all action necessary to expose any drug dealing.”
But in a letter to the Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Rev. Ntim Fordjour urged the Committee to summon key security agencies, including National Security, the Police CID, the Narcotics Control Commission, and the National Investigations Bureau, to appear before Parliament on April 7, 2025, and provide updates on the state of investigations into a series of high-profile cocaine busts, including one involving drug valued at $350 million.
“The purpose of this proposed meeting is to afford the agencies the opportunity to brief the Committee and provide updates on investigations being conducted into high-profile reported incidents of serious and urgent public interest,” he wrote.
Among the incidents highlighted were the National Security operation in Sapeiman on February 9, 2025, which uncovered twelve 20-foot containers loaded with gold bars and currencies, as well as two massive cocaine busts valued at $350 million and $120 million, respectively, in March.
However, speaking to GHOne TV, Vice Chair of the Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, criticized Rev. John Ntim Fordjour for endangering national security by publicly revealing sensitive information.
“What has happened is so strange to me; it highlights a lack of standard operating procedures within the Defence and Interior Committee. There is no protocol that allows a committee member to engage with the media before consulting the committee or relevant ministers. The Committee’s role in Parliament is primarily oversight—focusing on the security sector ministries.”
“The procedure is simple, and we’ve always emphasized this: it is the only committee that remains largely non-partisan because we deal with matters of national security. If a member has concerns and seeks answers, they summon the Minister before the committee. At the committee’s entrance, we remind everyone to set aside partisan interests and prioritize Ghana’s security. When it comes to national safety, we avoid making unnecessary public statements as long as we trust the Ministers are handling matters appropriately.”
Meanwhile, management of AirMed International, operator of aircraft N823AM, has refuted allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering involving their flight during an interview with Senior Journalist Joshua Kodjo Mensah of Excellence in Broadcasting (EIB) Network.
In a sharp rebuttal, government officials accused Rev. Fordjour of failing to honour an invitation by National Security to assist with investigations into the two suspicious flights that landed at Kotoka International Airport in March.
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, described Rev. Fordjour’s claims as lacking merit.
“I have good relations with him; he is my neighbour. But on this issue, he knows what he is saying is a lie, and he is wasting our time,” Ofosu remarked.
The Minister firmly dismissed the allegations, stressing that Fordjour “doesn’t have a shred of evidence” to support his claims. “I am daring him to provide it in your studio,” Ofosu said.
He added, “If he has any evidence, let him present it right now before you go on.”
“With the greatest respect to my friend, it is comical, and we should not be wasting time like that,” he concluded.
The ongoing dispute between Rev. Fordjour and government officials raise questions about the future of the investigation and the personal tensions that have erupted between the parties. Will this war of words lead to a resolution, or is it set to escalate even further? Only time will tell.
Source: Ghana/StarrFM103.5FM/Benjamin Sackey
