The Minority in Parliament has issued a strong appeal to the diplomatic community in Ghana to intervene and provide protection for the Assin South Member of Parliament, John Ntim Fordjour, following growing concerns for his safety after exposing what has become the controversial Gran Canaria flights scandal.
In a formal letter submitted on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Maher Kheir, Samuel Abu Jinapor, MP for Damongo and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, urged foreign missions to step in to ensure the personal safety of Mr. Fordjour and safeguard the independence of Parliament itself.
“I…called on the Diplomatic Community in Ghana…to take a keen interest in the protection of the independence of Ghana’s Parliament in the exercise of its oversight responsibility, and most especially, the safety and protection of the whistleblower, the John Ntim Fordjour,” Jinapor emphasized in his letter.
The urgent request follows a string of developments that began with a Minority press conference on April 1, 2025, where they highlighted troubling security matters — particularly the unauthorized landing of AirMed and Cavok Air flights allegedly carrying illicit goods and large sums of money.
Samuel Jinapor’s call for protection is not made in isolation.
He referenced increasing threats to parliamentary oversight and suggested that Mr. Fordjour’s role in exposing the issue had potentially placed him in danger. He added that the need to shield legislators in the performance of their duties was non-negotiable in a functioning democracy.
“Such a situation could have serious political, economic, and diplomatic implications for our country, and an already troubled region,” he warned.
What has deepened concern, according to Samuel Jinapor, is the apparent attempt by government spokespersons to downplay the issue.
“The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications…called the investigations ‘a waste of time,’ and insinuated that the President did not mean it when he called for investigations,” he recounted.
The Minority, however, insists that credible verification has already begun to vindicate their claims.
“Independent checks have confirmed that the two AirMed flights flew to KIA straight from Gran Canaria, contrary to the Minister’s claim that the flight came from Luanda.”
Given Ghana’s obligations under several international treaties against transnational crime — including the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime — Jinapor insists the state must act responsibly.
He highlighted Ghana’s legal commitment to fight organized crime, referencing the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), but emphasized that these frameworks mean little without real action.
“Without a doubt, we cannot be successful in combating these transnational crimes if we fail to investigate allegations such as this… It is through such investigations that we can gather credible intelligence to prevent these crimes.”
As part of the five-point request, the Minority is urging the diplomatic corps to not only assist with intelligence-sharing and security cooperation but also to press the government to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry under Article 278 of the Constitution.
“I…called on the Diplomatic Community…to encourage, through diplomatic channels, the Ghanaian Government to establish…a Commission of Inquiry to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the matter.”
Above all, Jinapor stressed that protecting Mr. Fordjour and other Members of Parliament is a matter of principle and national integrity.
“Ghana…must continue to act above board, and collaborate with the rest of the world to combat transnational organised crimes… Action in this matter is urgent and consequential for national and international security.”
-BY Nadia Ntiamoah
