Minority says $750,000 per each charter flight for South Africa evacuation way above industry rate

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of paying above-market rates for charter flights used to evacuate Ghanaians fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa, demanding the release of original invoices to justify the expenditure.

The party said documents released by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that each of the three charter flights cost US$750,000, bringing the total to US$2.25 million to transport about 900 evacuees.

At a press conference, the NPP National Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, said the reported charges were significantly higher than estimates obtained from the aviation industry.

According to the party, its checks suggested that chartering comparable aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines or Air Tanzania would cost between US$180,000 and US$300,000 per flight.

Using the upper end of that range, the NPP argued that the three flights should have cost no more than US$900,000, leaving a potential difference of at least US$1.35 million.

Mr Aboagye said the reported expenditure translated into approximately US$2,500 for each passenger flown from South Africa to Ghana.

"The Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs is telling us he paid $750,000 for one airplane. Just one," he said.

The NPP further noted that the charter flights accounted for GH¢27,183,700, representing about 55 per cent of the total GH¢49,721,786 spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians.

It questioned why the Ministry had not released invoices, contracts or the identity of the operator, saying the available explanation was that the flights had been arranged.

The party also claimed it had received information suggesting that Ethiopian Airlines operated the first three flights through an intermediary identified as Mr Vanderpuye. It alleged that each flight might have been billed at nearly US$300,000 above its actual cost.

The NPP also raised questions about whether the Ministry's Chief Director had recently requested fresh invoices for the flights months after the evacuation exercise.

"Publish the original Ethiopian Airlines invoices for all three flights," Mr Aboagye said. "If the figures are honest, the original invoices will settle this in a day."

The opposition party is demanding that the Ministry identify the charter operator, explain how the operator was selected in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, and submit the complete evacuation accounts to an independent audit by a firm of international standing.

It has also given Mr Ablakwa seven days to present all relevant records to Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

The allegations form part of the ongoing dispute over the GH¢49.72 million spent on the evacuation exercise, which brought home 1,964 Ghanaians who fled xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Mr Ablakwa has maintained that the Ministry has the necessary documentation, including signed sheets, and insists that no money is missing from the exercise.