Forensic security Analyst, Dr. Lawrence Kofi Acheampong has justified the need for a full-scale forensic investigation into the military helicopter crash that killed eight people, including two government ministers, in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
His call comes after the government announced that the remains of the victims had been flown to South Africa for advanced DNA analysis due to the condition of the bodies.
The 37 Military Hospital in Accra was initially expected to handle the process, but officials say the complexity of the case requires more specialised procedures.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, August 8, 2025, Dr. Acheampong said the nature of the tragedy demands more than basic victim identification.
“Looking at the people involved and the resources required, this is something that is at the heart of all Ghanaians. We must conduct a forensic audit of the disaster, which goes far beyond DNA testing,” he stated.
He explained that a thorough probe would require multiple specialists — including fire forensic experts, forensic pathologists, chemical pathologists, toxicologists, and forensic engineers — to uncover the technical, environmental, and human factors behind the crash.
“When we talk about forensic, we are not only talking about DNA; we need to go deeper. We must determine what went wrong with the flight before the tragic event happened,” he stressed, adding that even what may appear to be a simple disaster could reveal complex causes through proper forensic analysis.
State funeral for helicopter crash victims set for August 15 – Mahama
