Minority Demands Parliamentary Probe into Over $1bn Drug Seizures Linked to Ghana

The Minority in Parliament is calling for an independent Parliamentary inquiry into a series of major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana, warning that the country could be increasingly becoming a transit point for international drug trafficking.

In a statement issued on September 13 and signed by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Minority said it was concerned about the frequency and scale of drug trafficking incidents involving Ghana over the past 18 months.

The Minority cited both narcotics seized within Ghana and consignments intercepted by foreign authorities after being traced to the country.

Among the cases highlighted is the recent seizure by French authorities of cocaine reportedly worth more than $260 million, which was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste.

According to the Minority, the various seizures linked to Ghana under the Mahama-led administration have a combined value of well over $1 billion in less than two years.

Concerns Over Ports and Security Agencies

The Minority questioned whether existing measures are effective enough to prevent international drug cartels from exploiting Ghana’s ports, airports, highways and territorial waters.

It also raised concerns over what it described as a lack of public explanations from state institutions responsible for combating and investigating narcotics trafficking.

The group claimed that Ghana’s port authorities had not publicly accounted for the cocaine shipment intercepted in Dunkirk, France, while the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) had also remained “conspicuously quiet.”

Call for Independent Investigation

The Minority wants Parliament to establish a full-scale and independent inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the various drug seizures linked to Ghana.

It is also calling for the probe to examine whether there were instances of complicity, negligence or failures in institutional oversight involving agencies responsible for internal security, transportation, port operations and narcotics control.

The Minority argues that the scale and frequency of the incidents, together with what it considers inadequate public accountability, make the issue a matter of national concern.