Akosua Manu, former Deputy CEO of the National Youth Authority, has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the investigation into alleged drug trafficking and money laundering activities at Kotoka International Airport.
The probe was ordered by President John Dramani Mahama following claims made by Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member of the Defence Committee.
Rev. Fordjour had alleged that two aircraft, including an AirMed jet, were possibly involved in illegal activities. Manu, however, questioned the integrity of the investigation, suggesting that the credibility of the probe had already been compromised by Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu’s actions.
Manu expressed doubts about the impartiality of the investigation, particularly after Kwakye Ofosu released what she deemed “questionable” videos to explain the aircraft’s extended stay in Ghana.
Manu argued that Kwakye Ofosu’s explanations lacked consistency and failed to align with the known facts surrounding the incident. She accused him of deliberately misleading the public with false information.
“The problem is that I don’t even trust the investigation the President has called for, because his spokesperson has already tainted the matter. Not because we’ve seen any physical evidence like parcels, but because the sequence of events shows a deliberate attempt to lie to the public,” Manu said.
She added, “He told barefaced lies. He lied about the maintenance, the aircraft, the maintenance schedule, and the route. On what grounds did he even have that information to release it to the public?”
The controversy started after President Mahama ordered a full investigation on April 1, in response to Rev. Fordjour’s press conference where he made the initial allegations. In response to the claims, Felix Kwakye Ofosu posted on Facebook on April 6, stating that the aircraft had stayed in Ghana due to damaged landing gear tyres, and that engineers had been flown in to make repairs, which accounted for the three-day delay.
However, Manu pointed to inconsistencies in Kwakye Ofosu’s account and criticized what she saw as attempts to mislead the public. She is now calling for an independent, bipartisan investigation into the matter.
“I am calling for a bipartisan committee to look into the matter,” Manu concluded.
