A security analyst, Andrews Asiedu Tetteh, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the recent military helicopter crash, describing it as both a national tragedy and a potential security breach.
In an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr. Tetteh stated that several factors may have contributed to the crash, including possible internal sabotage within the Ghana Armed Forces.
He recalled that the late Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, had recently revealed the discovery of ammunition theft within the military. The minister disclosed that in 2024, thousands of rounds of ammunition were transferred from the Ghana Armed Forces to the National Security Secretariat, prompting an investigation.
According to Mr. Tetteh, the minister made these revelations during a familiarisation tour of key military installations, including the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. He also referenced a prior incident of ammunition theft within the armed forces, raising concerns that the stolen weapons could fall into the wrong hands.
Mr. Tetteh noted that these disclosures may have angered individuals implicated in the theft. He suggested that those who feared exposure or disgrace might have taken steps to undermine the minister or disrupt the investigation.
He stressed that while the cause of the crash remains unclear, sabotage cannot be ruled out. Given that the minister regularly used military aircraft, Mr. Tetteh argued that the aircraft could have been deliberately tampered with.
“Dr. Boamah had announced plans for a full-scale investigation into the missing ammunition. If certain individuals felt threatened by this, they may have seen an opportunity to interfere by targeting the aircraft he used,” he explained.
Mr. Tetteh proposed that Ghana consider engaging international experts to support the investigation. He stated that outsourcing technical expertise would not be unprecedented, citing Ghana’s past collaborations with international institutions such as the IMF.
He commended the Air Force for its maintenance protocols, noting that aircraft are thoroughly inspected before flights due to the limited number of military helicopters in service.
However, he emphasized that retrieving and analyzing the aircraft’s black box would be crucial in determining the true cause of the crash. He argued that the presence of independent experts would strengthen the credibility of the investigation.
“The President was reportedly scheduled to use the aircraft. Was it tampered with to target him? Or was it a technical failure? These are questions we must answer through a thorough investigation,” Mr. Tetteh concluded.
