By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Forensic security Analyst, Dr. Lawrence Kofi Acheampong, has alluded that examination of charred body cases requires more specialised procedures than DNA tests.
“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,” Dr. Acheampong said.
His call comes after the government announced that the remains of the victims of the military helicopter crash that killed eight people, including two government ministers, in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region had been flown to South Africa for advanced DNA analysis due to the condition of the bodies.
Ghana’s premier military hospital, the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, was initially billed to handle the process, but officials say the complexity of the case requires more specialised procedures.
Commenting on the issue on an Accra-based Citi FM’s current affairs show, the “Citi Breakfast Show” on Friday, August 8, 2025, the Forensic security Analyst explained that 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.
According to him, 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.
