News:
October 14, 2024
The Minister of Transport, Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has explained that some staff of Ghana Airport Company who were implicated in a Cocaine smuggling scandal at Kotoka International Airport have now been reinstated after investigations was conducted.
The transport minister made the statement when he appeared before the Assurance Committee of Parliament to respond to some assurances, promises, as well as issues raised on the floor of Parliament pertaining to his ministry.
It was alleged in March 2023, that a staff of the GACL had smuggled 8.5 Kilograms of a substance suspected to be Cocaine through KIA but was subsequently busted at Brussels Airport by the Belgian authorities. Mr. Asiamah has explained that, there has been a collaboration with international partners to fight the illegal cocaine menace adding that a committee was set up to investigate the staff who were implicated in the incident.
He said ‘’The Security at various Airports collaborate with each other, I can even let people slip in for him to be busted at another Airport. We have also busted other people here on behalf of other countries. This is a network that we have to look for and pointed out that the safety and security of KIA is one of the best in the world”.
The Minister stated that the Committee’s findings on the incident, proved that the staff were not culpable hence the need for them to be reinstated. He further told the Assurance Committee that the matter was handled internally with best standards and opined that nobody was punished because nobody was found culpable.
It will be recalled that, on April 10th, 2024, the Herald Newspaper reported on the Cocaine smuggle bust. The Newspaper reported that the scandal emerged following the arrest of a significant quantity of illegal drugs at Brussels Airport in Belgium with reports indicating that the cocaine was smuggled through KIA on board the Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc, facilitated by a GACL staff member in March.
The Chairman of the Assurance Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed concern over the GACL failure to apprise the public with the outcome of the investigations.
He said it is only fair that the public is informed about the conclusions of the investigations and what GACL is doing to keep the public safe.
Ghanamps.com