Minority demands probe into 'over US$1bn' high-profile drug seizures linked to Ghana

The Minority in Ghana's Parliament has called for an independent parliamentary inquiry into allegations of Ghana emerging as a major transit hub for narcotics under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. In a statement, the Minority highlights a series of significant drug seizures over the past 18 months, raising concerns about the security of Ghana's ports, airports, and territorial waters, as well as the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting drug trafficking cases.

The Minority cites several high-profile seizures, including a tipper truck in Cape Coast carrying over 3.3 tonnes of cocaine, valued at more than US$350 million, and a consignment of about 120 slabs of cocaine estimated at US$150 million, seized along the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway. They also reference other seizures, such as the arrest of an aircraft from Gran Canaria allegedly carrying narcotics and undeclared currency, and the MV Sankofa case, where a vessel allegedly sailing under a forged flag was released by the Ghana Maritime Authority after paying a fraction of a fine without a full inspection of its cargo.

The Minority questions the progress of investigations and prosecutions, noting that more than a year after the Pedu Junction seizure, only a few suspects have been arraigned and are on bail, while the alleged financiers and high-level dealers behind the multimillion-dollar cocaine shipments remain unidentified and unpunished. They also criticize the alleged lack of transparency and accountability from various agencies, including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, and the Bureau of National Investigations, for their handling of the seizures.

The Minority demands an independent parliamentary inquiry into the possible complicity, negligence, or failure of oversight by these institutions and seeks details on the status and outcomes of investigations into the cited seizures.