Albert Kan-Dapaah, the minister of national security, claims he was astonished to learn that the Ghana Airports Company Limited had detained an aviation security officer (GACL).
He claimed that despite the occurrence, the Airports Company's response was unnecessary.
Awudu Basit, a security guard, was detained when he insisted on searching the Minister of National Security at the Kumasi Airport.
The security guard was detained because, in GACL's opinion, his actions damaged the reputation and integrity of the business.
The management of GACL stated in the interdiction letter obtained by The Fourth Estate, "You were assigned to perform airside patrol duties at the Kumasi Airport on September 8, 2022, and you observed the Minister of National Security boarding Africa World Airline Flight at approximately 1430 hours after he emerged from the VVIP Lounge.
According to reports, you approached the honorable minister and insisted that a pre-boarding search be conducted on him in the open frontage of the VVIP, which caused the minister to feel uncomfortable.
An investigation into the events leading up to the tragedy has subsequently been started by the management of the Ghana Airports Company.
But Mr. Kan-Dapaah expressed surprise that the GACL administration went so far as to discipline the security officer in an exclusive interview with The Fourth Estate.
"The turn of events surprises me. Absolutely no disrespect was shown, he insisted.
He claimed to have missed the letter interdicting the security guard and that The Fourth Estate was the source of his first knowledge of the interdiction.
"I waited in the waiting area for more than 40 minutes, and he never asked to screen me. However, he insisted on searching me just as I was about to board and in front of so many others.
The Fourth Estate quoted him as saying, "Last Monday, an official from the Ghana Airports came to my office to apologize, and I did clarify that there was no need for an apology because the officer did not show any disrespect toward me."
He requested the Airport Company to overturn the security guard's denial.
The letter noted that Mr. Basit's interdiction will begin on Friday, September 9, 2022, "in accordance with Article 17(e) of the Collective Agreement.
The security officer, Mr. Awudu Basit, should get two-thirds of his salary during his interdiction, according to the letter, which was signed by the Group Executive of the Human Capital and Office Services, R. S. Tagoe.
The Ghana Airports Company's managing director, Pamela Djamson Tettey, stated in a letter made accessible to The Fourth Estate that management had reversed its decision to detain Mr. Awudu Basit.
In a letter to the Kotoka International Airport workers' union, management announced that it had "reconsidered the interdiction of AVSEC officer, Basit, after further deliberations and facts that have since come to its attention."