Final Report on Obuasi Helicopter Crash Due Today; Public Release Tuesday
The report on the August 6 helicopter tragedy will be presented to the National Security Council today, Monday, November 10.
A statement on Sunday from Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, indicated that the details of the report will be made public at a media briefing in Accra this Tuesday.
Background
The government had previously announced on August 14 that it invited American forensic experts to assist in the investigation. The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, pledging a transparent inquiry into the crash.
The Harbin Z-9 military helicopter was en route from Accra to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining event on August 6 when it disappeared from radar and crashed in the Ashanti Region.
The accident claimed the lives of all eight occupants, including several high-ranking officials.
The deceased included Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chair Dr. Samuel Sarpong; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; and three Ghana Air Force crew members: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
In response to the tragedy, President John Mahama declared a three-day period of national mourning, during which flags were flown at half-mast. The victims’ bodies were transported to Accra, with some requiring DNA identification tests in South Africa, which caused delays in the burial arrangements, particularly for the Muslim victims.
