The Ministry of Defence has assured Ghanaians that investigations into the August 6 military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region will be thorough and transparent, with no attempt to conceal the truth.
The crash claimed the lives of eight people, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; and NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong.
Also on board were three Ghana Air Force servicemen Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah who all perished.
Addressing the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on Wednesday, August 13, Deputy Defence Minister Brogya Genfi revealed that the Ghana Armed Forces had already launched an internal investigation and had also sought international assistance to ensure credibility.
“We also want to assure you that the Ghana Armed Forces has already begun investigations into the incident. We made a request for international collaboration, and we have received a positive response in that regard. We want to assure our chiefs that nothing will be covered up. It will be transparent, and the Ghanaian public will know exactly what happened and the cause of this tragic accident,” Mr. Genfi said.
He urged the media to be measured in their reporting to avoid misinformation during the investigation.
During the meeting, the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Nii Odaifio Welentsi III, called for decisive action to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which he claimed contributed to the tragedy.
“Galamsey is what has caused their lives. If you cannot do anything about this, the police can. Once and for all, we should stop this thing. This country should rise up and stop galamsey,” he urged.
Following the crash, the government declared a three-day national mourning period from August 7 to 9, with a flower-laying ceremony and a memorial service. A state funeral for all eight victims will be held on Friday, August 15, at the Black Star Square in Accra, during which an education fund will be launched to support the children of the deceased.
The Ghana Armed Forces earlier reported that the Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, departed Accra at 9:12 a.m. local time en route to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining operation. The aircraft went off radar shortly before the scheduled arrival, prompting a search-and-rescue mission. The wreckage was later discovered, with no survivors.
