Ghana’s leading forensic scientist has condemned the handling of remains from last week’s military helicopter crash, warning that critical evidence was compromised.
Dr. Pet-Paul Wepeba, President of the Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences, revealed bodies were transported in sacks a practice he called “unacceptable” for preserving forensic integrity. “You’re making identification needlessly difficult and undermining investigations,” he stated on TV3’s Key Points on August 9.
Dr. Wepeba stressed the crash site near Obuasi should have been immediately secured as a restricted zone. “Evidence was disturbed before experts arrived.
Preserving the wreckage and cordoning the area was essential,” he emphasized, adding that Ghana’s reliance on South African labs for DNA analysis reflects systemic gaps. He urged nationwide emergency response training to prevent public interference at disaster scenes.
The criticism comes as the Ghana Air Force mourns eight victims, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Murtala Mohammed.
Air Commodore Eric Yirenkyi, Base Commander, called their loss “a deep wound to our family.” Investigators now face heightened challenges in determining the crash’s cause after the alleged mishandling of evidence.
