President of the Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Pet-Paul Wepeba, says the decision to fly DNA samples from victims of Wednesday’s military helicopter crash to South Africa was due to Ghana’s lack of advanced forensic logistics, not a shortage of skilled personnel.
Speaking on Newsfile on Joy FM, Dr. Wepeba explained that while Ghana has the human resource and technical expertise to carry out complex DNA analysis, the country has not invested in the necessary infrastructure and equipment to handle high-intensity forensic work within tight timelines.
“We have the human resource, but we don’t have the capacity,” he said.
“The Ghana Police Crime Lab has certain genetic analyzers that could have been used for this, but under the circumstances — with Muslim brothers among the deceased — we needed to identify the remains as quickly as possible to allow for timely burial. Using traditional identification methods would have taken much longer.”
According to him, advanced methods such as next-generation sequencing, which are available in South Africa, can deliver faster and more precise results — an essential factor in this case where most of the victims were burned beyond recognition.
Dr. Wepeba stressed that the capacity gap extends beyond human identification. He noted that in incidents such as market fires, forensic chemistry is critical for determining the cause by analyzing recovered evidence. However, without the right equipment and laboratory resources, Ghana is forced to send such samples abroad.
He urged government to prioritize investment in forensic infrastructure, arguing that with the right logistical support, Ghana’s existing expertise could handle such investigations locally and avoid costly and time-consuming outsourcing.
The tragic crash in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region claimed eight lives, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and three Air Force crew members. The DNA testing in South Africa aims to ensure accurate identification of the severely burned remains before burial.
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Source: myjoyonline.com
