Ghanair's Baltimore flight scandal - Part 1

ALL AIRPORT STAFF FACE ARREST
? $100,000 excess baggage cash unaccounted for
? Airport manager handed over to police
It was check-in time on February 29, 2004. Ghana Airways was flying from Accra to Baltimore in the United States of America. Hours before the flight, passengers in a long queue were spotted busily checking in their baggage. After check-in, the manifest, which provided information on the list of passengers with the total baggage weight on board the flight, indicated that the weight of checked-in baggage was 6.76 tonnes.

Surprisingly, the load sheet, which also indicated the weight of checked-in baggage of all persons on the aircraft, revealed that the total weight of baggage on board, that fateful day, was 16 tonnes, indicating that 9.3 tonnes of baggage was unaccounted for.

According to insiders, the two figures on the manifest and the load sheet in respect of the weight of checked-in baggage had to be the same and must be certified by the Captain of the flight before take-off.

The charge per kilogram of excess baggage is about $12, meaning that the total loss of revenue to the airline on that day was about $100,000.

The Chronicle investigation has revealed that for quite a long time, Ghana Airways had not declared profit on most of these individual flights, which resulted in cumulative losses to the struggling airline.

According to Chronicle intelligence, the Ministry of Transport, following a tip-off, conducted investigations into that particular Baltimore flight and made a report to the President in which the same figures given have been confirmed.

The Ministry?s investigation, according to The Chronicle sources, was sparked off by what insiders referred to as ?fraud and malpractices? of Ghanair staff in the handling of excess baggage which had resulted in a huge loss of revenue to the ailing airline.

According to government sources, the situation depicted fraud on the part of Ghana Airways staff on duty that day.

The Chronicle gathered that the Ministry of Transport, following its initial investigations, had roped in the Airport Police and called for full-scale investigations into the matter.

As an initial step, The Chronicle learnt, Mr. Roland Monsori, Ghana Airways Airport Manager in charge of operations that day, was said to have been handed over to the Airport police late last week for further investigations.

According to The Chronicle sources, Mr. Monsori was to assist in arresting all staff on duty that day to explain the loss, failure of which would result in police prosecution.

Government officials who spoke to The Chronicle commended the Minister of Transport for his effort and said that the move would set the pace in getting rid of irresponsible staff from Ghanair.

The station officer of the Airport Police Station yesterday refused to either confirm or deny that Mr. Monsori was handed over to them saying, ?We are not allowed to talk to the press. There is even a letter to that effect. I can?t confirm or deny anything, please contact the headquarters.?

Ghana?s national airline has been overwhelmed by debts, which have for a long time threatened its very survival. For several years now, governments have tried to increase the profitability of the airline, to no avail.

A couple of weeks ago, the Chief Executive of Ghana Airways and the Ministry of Transport were locked in a controversy in which the CEO was said to have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the airline and Global Air, a foreign airline which was seeking partnership with Ghana Airways.

The CEO was accused of not referring the matter to the airline?s board for approval before signing the MOU. Late last week, President Kufuor fired Mr. Owusu, CEO of the airline.