The debate surrounding allegations of cocaine smuggling and money laundering involving two planes at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), made by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, continues to stir public discourse.
A new twist in the conversation is a resurfaced video of the now Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, alleging that the army transported unidentified cargo to Tamale, an incident that prompted the then Chief of Defence Staff to publicly clarify the matter.
A section of the public argues that Rev Ntim Fordjour’s allegations, and his call for accountability from the military, are similar to Sam George’s past statements.
They contend that this similarity makes any arrest or interrogation of Fordjour by national security unwarranted.
But are these truly comparable situations? Or are we comparing apples to oranges? Let’s take a closer look at what each MP actually said.
What Ntim Fordjour said:
On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, the Minority Caucus’s Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, claimed at a caucus press conference that two aircraft, an air ambulance and a private jet, might have been involved in drug trafficking or money laundering.
He stated that the Minority Caucus had intercepted intelligence indicating that an air ambulance landed in Ghana without any record of patient transfers.
“On the matter of AirMed flights and Cavok Air private jets transporting suspected cocaine and cash, ladies and gentlemen, the Minority Caucus calls on National Security to disclose the contents of a cargo suspected to contain cocaine and cash, allegedly brought into the country by two suspicious flights, AirMed flight NH23AM and Cavok Air’s Antonov AN-12B.
“These flights reportedly landed at the tarmac of Kotoka International Airport in March 2025 from Gran Canaria, an island in Spain, and later departed back to the same location,” he emphatically stated.
He further stated that there was no evidence of medical referrals for patients on either leg of the flight and that the aircraft were allegedly carrying cargo containing various denominations of U.S. dollars and suspected narcotics.
The Minority Caucus called on National Security to fully disclose the cargo contents of these two aircraft, both upon arrival and departure.
The following day, Rev Ntim Fordjour formally wrote to the Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, requesting a joint briefing by National Security, the Police CID, Narcotics Control Commission, and the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).
This move followed a directive by President John Dramani Mahama for security officials to collaborate with the MP in probing the matter.
What Sam George said:
In the lead-up to the 2024 general elections, Samuel Nartey George, now the Minister for Communication and MP for Ningo-Prampram, raised alarm about military involvement in transporting suspicious cargo to Tamale.
He called on the then Chief of Defence Staff to publicly explain the movements and contents of certain military flights.
“The Chief of Army Staff or the Chief of Defence Staff must address the country and explain the events of November 30. A Ghana Army Casa C295M plane with tail registration number GHF 550 departed Accra at 13:51 hours, landed in Tamale at 15:01, and offloaded cargo into an ambulance staffed with National Security personnel,” he said.
He continued, stating that the same plane left Tamale for Kumasi, where it again offloaded cargo into an ambulance under similar conditions.
He also detailed the aircraft’s movements on December 1, 2024 when it flew to Abuja, returned to Accra, and later flew back to Tamale.
Sam George alleged that the cargo on board included ballot papers and firearms, and he named the military personnel involved, including Wing Commander Amo Hinaku (the captain), Group Captain Buedu (also Director of Air Operations), and Nyano Beko.
“They must explain if they carried ballot papers, where those ballot papers came from, and whether they transported weapons. And why is National Security using ambulances to move military cargo?” he asked.
He further claimed that an officer at the Tamale Airport who recorded footage of the event was detained and had his phone confiscated.
Conclusion:
While both MPs raised national security concerns involving aircraft and unexplained cargo, the contexts differ significantly, one centers on allegations of election-related misconduct and the other on drug trafficking.
Though parallels exist in tone and the call for accountability, the content and timing of their claims reflect differing motivations and implications.
The question remains: should both incidents be treated equally in terms of legal scrutiny, or do their distinct circumstances warrant separate approaches?
BAI/MA