Minority’s calls for alleged cocaine cargo disclosure premature – Ade Coker - Channel1 News

Joseph Ade Coker, the former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NDC, has urged Ghanaians to be patient. He specifically addressed the Minority in Parliament regarding ongoing cocaine trafficking investigations. Coker believes security agencies need time to build a strong case.

His comments followed calls from the Minority Caucus on National Security. They demanded urgent disclosure about cargo suspected of containing cocaine and cash. This cargo was reportedly transported into Ghana by two suspicious aircraft.

The Minority, led by Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, raised concerns about AirMed Flight N823AM and Cavok Air Antonov An-12B. These aircraft landed at Kotoka International Airport in March 2025. Intelligence reports indicate that the AirMed flight arrived on March 20 but did not transport any patients during its five-day stay.

Instead, it is suspected of carrying cocaine and large sums of US dollars. The Cavok Air Antonov private jet landed on March 12 and stayed for 13 days before leaving for Gran Canaria, a region known for drug trafficking.

On April 2, 2025, Coker spoke on Breakfast Daily show on Channel One TV. He cautioned against making hasty judgments about security operations. He stated that these operations take time to yield conclusive results.

Coker emphasized that security agencies do not provide daily updates on their work. They need room to investigate those behind drug trafficking cartels. He mentioned that tip-offs often lead to successful investigations.

In contrast, Elvis Darko, Editor of Newscenta Newspaper, expressed concerns about the government's handling of this issue. He suggested that lessons from past drug trafficking cases have not been learned.

Darko criticized the current approach as ineffective and called it a threat to national security. He questioned whether President Akufo-Addo had been briefed on the matter before announcing an investigation.