Atiwa East Member of Parliament Abena Osei-Asare has renewed calls for an independent bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into recent Ghana cocaine seizures, arguing that repeated interceptions at home and abroad require fuller public scrutiny.
In a Facebook post, the former Deputy Finance Minister questioned the effectiveness of anti-narcotics measures and the government’s handling of investigations into reported shipments linked to Ghana.
“How many more seizures before this Government accepts that Ghana deserves answers?” she asked.
Her comments follow the arrest of a Syrian national at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on October 31 after he arrived from Accra with suspected cocaine. Lebanese Customs put the haul at 46.7 kilogrammes, while Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission said approximately 40 kilogrammes had been involved.
MP Questions Airport Security Assurances
Osei-Asare also referred to earlier reported seizures at Pedu, Takoradi and Tema, as well as shipments intercepted overseas, including in Australia and Dunkirk.
She pointed to assurances given by Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on October 20.
During that appearance, the minister said authorities were strengthening airport screening after revelations that a senior security officer had allegedly helped a suspected trafficker bypass normal checks. Measures included additional screening and the use of canine units.
“So what happened here?” Osei-Asare asked, referring to the Beirut seizure.
NACOC’s ‘Controlled Delivery’ Explanation Questioned
NACOC says the Beirut arrest resulted from a controlled delivery carried out jointly with Lebanese authorities. The Commission said the operation was intended to identify suspects at both ends of the supply chain and gather intelligence on the wider trafficking network. It added that efforts were underway to arrest alleged accomplices in Ghana.
Osei-Asare, however, questioned why the operation was publicly announced while arrests in Ghana were still pending.
“Arrests need not be simultaneous. But why publicise the operation while those accomplices remain at large? Are we trying to catch them or warn them?” she asked.
She also demanded answers on who organised and financed the shipment and what had become of investigations into earlier cocaine cases.
The Atiwa East MP maintains that a parliamentary inquiry would provide a more independent assessment of the recurring seizures, airport security arrangements and the progress of investigations.
The government has not publicly responded to her latest demand for a bipartisan parliamentary probe.
