Suspicious flights: Minority petitions diplomatic community

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has petitioned the diplomatic community in Ghana to show interest in the ongoing controversy involving suspicious flights from the Spanish island of Gran Canaria to Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The Caucus has, therefore, called on the diplomatic community to, as a matter of urgency, use diplomatic channels to collaborate with Ghanaian security and intelligence agencies to unravel the puzzle, conundrum, and controversy surrounding the matter.

Allegations raised at press conference
This development follows a press conference held by the Minority on April 1, 2025, during which they alleged—based on intelligence—that two AirMed and Cavok Air flights that landed at KIA from Gran Canaria and remained for several days before departing were suspected to be carrying illicit goods and money. The Caucus called on the Government to disclose the contents of the cargo, which they believe included cocaine and cash.

President orders investigation
Following the press conference, the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, directed state investigative agencies to look into the matter.
Several well-meaning Ghanaians, security experts, and international bodies—including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)—have echoed this call for thorough investigations.
However, even before investigations could commence, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dismissed the allegations.
He referred to the investigations as “a waste of time” and suggested that the President did not genuinely intend for them to be carried out.
The Minister claimed that the President’s directive was merely to prove that Ntim Fordjour “had no evidence to back what he said.”

Fact-Check Ghana supports minority’s claims
Fact-Check Ghana has since corroborated much of the information put forth by the Minority.
They confirmed that the two AirMed flights indeed flew directly from Gran Canaria to KIA, contradicting the Minister’s assertion that the flight originated from Luanda.
They also reported being unable to trace the activity history of the Cavok flights referenced by the Minister, noting that no records show these flights arriving in the country on the stated dates.

Minority calls for diplomatic engagement
The Minority Caucus appears determined to prevent the issue from being swept under the rug.
In a letter signed by Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, and addressed to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana and the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Maher Kheir, the Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee formally requested that the diplomatic community take interest in the issue and collaborate with Ghanaian security agencies to investigate the matter.

Ghana’s international commitments highlighted
According to the Minority, Ghana is a party to several international treaties and conventions that obligate it to combat transnational organized crime, including illicit drug trade and money laundering.

These include the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (as amended by the 1972 Protocol), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971, the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988 (the Vienna Convention) and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000
The Caucus noted that Ghana has recently adopted key legislative, regulatory, and administrative measures to address these issues, including the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).

Warning against inaction
The Minority expressed concern that, if not properly investigated, Ghana risks becoming a transit hub for illicit drugs and money. Such a situation, they warned, could have serious political, economic, and diplomatic consequences for the country and the West African region.
They stressed that only through a full investigation can the veracity of the allegations be determined, offenders prosecuted, and future crimes prevented through credible intelligence gathering.

Specific Requests to the Diplomatic Community
The Caucus therefore called on the diplomatic community to share intelligence on the aircrafts in question with Ghanaian security authorities
Facilitate the deployment of their respective countries’ security apparatus to collaborate in future investigations
Assist the Ghanaian State—particularly Parliament—in avoiding the reputation of a “drug state”
Use diplomatic channels to urge Government to establish a Commission of Inquiry to conduct a full, impartial investigation
Advocate for the protection of Members of Parliament who act as whistleblowers in matters of this nature