Conspiracy to sell Ghanair uncovered

A well calculated plan by the Managing Director of African Ground Operations (AFGO) Marwan Traboulsi to take over national carrier Ghana Airways has been exposed.

Documents intercepted by "the Independent" and corroborated by other credible sources indicate that Traboulsi’s grand design has temporarily been torpedoed by the changes in government.

“The Independent has discovered that Marwan Traboulsi, a close buddy of ex-president Rawlings would not give up the idea entirely. He has started making inroads into the new government, swearing allegiance to the new administration with the hope that he is being considered to take over the national carrier.

The Independent has sighted Traboulsi’s purchase agreement with Embracer Aircraft of Brazil, in which the AFGO boss made committal down payment of 1.2 million dollars for 50 airplane.”

The paper says it discovers that these airplanes would have subsequently been integrated into Ghana Airways fleet to prepare the ground for the eventual take over of Ghana Airways by Air Ghana, which is a Traboulsi creation.

The national carrier according to the paper has strongly protested to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) over Traboulsi’s use of the name “Air Ghana” for his airline.

“Credible sources at GCAA confided in this reporter that Traboulsi has over the years misrepresent his airline to other foreign aviation companies as being the official airline of Ghana,” the paper says.

On some occasions, over flight charges, which were incurred by Traboulsi’s airline – “Air Ghana”, were footed by Ghana Airways. But interestingly, Traboulsi is on the verge of being issued with a licence by the new government to commence passenger air service under the West Star Airlines. This will be in addition to his already existing monopoly over cargo operations at the Kotoka International Airport.

It was reported some time last year that Traboulsi was using former chief of staff and now minister for information and presidential affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey to obtain clearance for his licence.

Although the minister strongly denied the report, the paper says, “sources say that the rumour which was invariably started by Traboulsi himself did not go down well with president Kufuor.”

“It is a well-known fact that AFGO’s activities contributed to a large extent to Ghana Airways’ collapse when AFGO forcibly commandeered the ground handling assets and business from the later which was generating for its coffers some $500,000,” the paper quotes its sources as saying.

“The Independent has information on a close door meeting held late last year where Traboulsi swore his allegiance to the ruling party all in a bid to get the green light to operate a private airline.”

Another strong lobbyist for Traboulsi is said to be one Alex Yeboah, a former Customs officer and henchman of the then Commissioner, Nii Okine Adjei and now security co-odinator of AFGO.

“Marwan Traboulsi used his close ties with former president Rawlings to create AFGO and his Air Ghana Company, both of which he used to sabotage and eventually close down businesses of Ghanaian entrepreneurs who engaged in that area of business.

Traboulsi is also being investigated for alleged massive tax evasion totaling ?8 billion, the paper says.

“Although Traboulsi is said to have presented documents to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) showing that he had made certain payments to his partners ICTC, Pierre de Schepper has categorically stated that the documents, which included a purported agreement are fake.