In the wake of serious allegations by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South regarding suspected drug trafficking and money laundering involving two aircraft at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), a renowned security consultant, Richard Kumadoe, has weighed in, describing the government’s initial response as both timely and measured.
In an exclusive interview with the Vaultz News, Mr. Kumadoe emphasized the significance of President John Dramani Mahama’s immediate directive for a full-scale investigation into the matter.
“The content of the statement was precise. He calls for an investigation, so that is it. If it is the President’s response, it was timely. The content of his statement was very precise. By calling the BNI in particular to get involved in the investigation, they could do some external aspect of it and bring them that workload”.
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
His comments come amid rising public anxiety and international curiosity after the Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, alleged that an Air Med aircraft and a Cavok Airlines cargo flight might have been involved in illicit activities.
This has raised concerns about the credibility of Ghana’s principal airport and its broader security apparatus.
Beyond assessing the government’s response, Mr. Kumadoe reflected on how such allegations, even if ultimately unfounded, could tarnish Ghana’s international reputation.
Particularly, he noted the country’s global standing as a relatively stable and secure jurisdiction in a volatile region.
Yet, the security expert was quick to assert that Kotoka International Airport remains one of the best-managed security hubs in West Africa, boasting multilayered defense structures designed to deter and detect illicit activities.
“When you go to Kotoka International Airport, it’s well security managed. They have about seven or 10 layers of security. They have immigration, which predominantly dominates the airport.
You have customs, you have the narcotics board, you have BNI and the police. You also have the military, officers from the national security secretariat and many others”.
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
Mr Kumadoe insisted that the allegations, while serious and deserving full investigation, should not automatically lead to wholesale condemnation of the Ghana’s airport’s management or security protocols.
“It’s just about flights coming and going. These are things that happen on a daily basis and an hourly basis. To the extent that this one has become a particular issue of public interest, that is why it’s attracting public commentary”.
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
His assertion serves as a significant counterweight to fears that the KIA could become synonymous with drug trafficking and money laundering in the minds of international partners if the issue is not properly managed.
Allegations and Political Sensitivity: The BNI’s Role
A particularly sensitive dimension to the controversy is the fact that the claims were made by a sitting Member of Parliament, raising the stakes for government and national security institutions.
In navigating these treacherous waters, Mr Kumadoe stressed the importance of the President’s choice of security agencies.
He elaborated that the involvement of the BNI was a strategic move intended to address the situation with the kind of forensic scrutiny necessary to uphold national credibility.
The BNI, he explained, is mandated to perform three essential functions: verify the claim, ascertain its truthfulness, and authenticate its genuineness.
Mr Kumadoe further pointed out that modern flight logistics are deeply traceable through flight manifests, which detail everything from aircraft movement to cargo content.
“In every airport, the manifest tells you which plane is landing, which plane is taking off, what the contents are, and they go through vigorous searches and all that”.
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
He added that in this particular case, there are already circulating videos released by the government showing extensive searches conducted on the two aircraft in question—an Air Med aircraft and a Cavok Airlines flight.
These videos, according to him, further demonstrate that due diligence is not taken lightly by security operatives.
Digging Deeper: Tracking the Aircraft’s Histories
Another critical point raised by Mr Kumadoe was the need for investigators to look beyond the incident and examine the broader operational histories of the aircraft.
“You can go further to find out where they came from, when they left Ghana, where they are going to, and where they have been in the last one week, three months, one year, who are the owners of the aircraft, and what they have been used for”.
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
This kind of deep dive, he noted, would help the BNI and other investigative agencies build a comprehensive case, either in validating the MP’s claims or debunking them with concrete evidence.
In addition to the BNI, the President has also instructed the National Security Coordinator to be involved in the investigation—a move Kumadoe believes was highly strategic.
The National Security Coordinator, he said, plays a central role at the National Security Council and can integrate findings from various agencies to form a cohesive national security response.
According to him, this dual involvement of both the NIB and the National Security Coordinator reflects the gravity with which the state is treating the issue.
To him, it also offers some degree of reassurance that the investigations will be thorough, multi-dimensional, and impartial.
Reputational Risk
On the broader question of Ghana’s international reputation, Mr Kumadoe acknowledged that such allegations, when left unclarified, could pose significant image risks, particularly in areas concerning transnational crimes like drug trafficking and money laundering.
“Money laundering can have implications where the financial action task force in France can blacklist you as a nation, and the President is aware.
For some time now, Ghana has become not just a transit point, but we have become an origin and a destination for many crimes across the globe, and the president is aware. And I’m very sure that informed him, as the speed of the response he gave. So that is what it is.”
Richard Kumadoe, Security Consultant
However, he was quick to draw a distinction between the allegations and the actual operational integrity of Ghana’s ports of entry.
Responding to the question of whether the allegations made by the Assin South MP could have any implications for Ghana’s partnership with international aviation, security, and anti-narcotics bodies, Mr Kumadoe said, “No. I don’t think so. I seriously don’t”.
He added that Ghana’s border security, including cyber protocols, entry procedures, and exit processes, is generally well-coordinated and resistant to manipulation—unless extraordinary lapses occur.
In concluding his thoughts, Richard Kumadoe urged the public to remain calm and allow the investigative agencies to do their work.
He underscored the importance of dealing with such matters not based on speculation or political rhetoric, but on the foundation of verifiable and authenticated evidence.
While conceding that public vigilance is necessary, he warned against the temptation to politicize the matter, especially when investigations are ongoing.
The real strength of Ghana’s democratic and security systems, he implied, lies not in the absence of allegations, but in the robustness of the institutional response when they do arise.
As Ghanaians await the outcome of the ongoing investigation, Mr Kumadoe’s confidence in the country’s security architecture stands as an important reminder.
He stressed that while vigilance must remain high, panic and blanket condemnation could undermine years of investment in securing Ghana’s borders.
What is required now is a sober commitment to facts, a professional investigation without political interference, and, ultimately, corrective action, where necessary, to ensure that Ghana’s image as a safe, reliable gateway to West Africa remains untarnished.
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