Officers of the Narcotics Control Board [NACOB],  arrested Ms. Basaida Zena Jafary with 2.3hk of speedball, a mixture of cocaine and heroin with street value of $ 70,000.00.

Ms. Zena Jafary, according to NACOB, arrived in Ghana recently at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on-board Rwanda Air flight number ET 200.

A statement from NACOB said the Tanzanian woman was busted whilst going through arrival formalities at the airport.

“A search conducted in her check-in luggage revealed a concealment of two (2) parcels in false compartments of her luggage. The content of the parcel proved positive for narcotics substance during preliminary test conducted in her presence,” the statement said.

The suspected narcotic substance according to NACOB were further forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for confirmation, which tested positive for narcotics weighing 2.3kg.

“Ms. Zena on interrogation admitted ownership of the parcels, and confessed that they were given to her by one Mandanje Omari in Tanzania to be delivered to someone in Accra for undisclosed amount of money.”

Ms. Zena was subsequently arraigned and according to NACOB she “pleaded guilty to her offence, and was subsequently handed a 5 years prison sentence.”

 “NACOB admonishes the public to desist from delivering parcels on behalf of others, as it has been the conduit for trafficking narcotic drugs,” the statement from NACOB’s Communications and Media Relations Unit advised.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Tanzanian woman jailed 5-yrs for smuggling ‘cocaine’ to Ghana appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It is unclear how many workers have been dismissed, but Citi Business News has gathered that the dismissal affected top management, flight and grounds staff.

A letter sighted by Citi Business News signed by the CEO of the company, James Eric Antwi, stated that contracts of workers have been terminated effective November 30, 2017.

The letter further directed the workers to submit all their IDs and other company assets in their possession to the administration.

“We write to serve you this day’s notice of termination of your employment contract effective November 30, 2017.”

“In accordance with the termination clause of the existing agreement between you and the company, the company is formally exercising its right to the said agreement”.

It added that, “On your last day of work, kindly liaise with the Human Resource and Administration Department to submit all company assets in your possession, including but not limited to ID cards, equipment, cell phones, work products (electronic and paper files) etc.”

“Upon receipt of these items, the payment of any outstanding amounts as stated due will be authorized.”

It is unclear whether the dismissals have anything to do with the recent incident involving one of the company’s aircrafts or due to operational challenges facing the airline.

A Kumasi-bound aircraft skidded off the runway at the Kotoka International Airport on Saturday, November 25 when it was preparing to take off.

GCAA investigates Starbow accident 

The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Simon Allotey,  had told Citi Business News the GCAA will investigate the operations of Starbow and proffer the necessary sanction if it is found culpable in the accident.

“We are as part of the investigations, going to have a review of Starbow as an organization not just their maintenance, but a total review of their management, their structure, their training, qualifications and all that to be sure as part of a broader safety management system everything is being done right,” he told Citi Business News.

Mr. Allotey added that, “We will ask them to effect the necessary corrections, and we will impose sanctions where there are serious infractions, but where it just needs a corrective action, we resolve the safety concern through asking the company to do a corrective action plan, give them a timeline to implement it and we review and approve.”

Starbow is one of the two domestic airline companies operating in Ghana.

It has been in operation since September 2011. Already, three airlines, CityLink, Antrak and Royal Fly Gh, are yet to resume operations after suffering a similar fate about four years ago.

Starbow halts operations after accident 

Starbow Airlines recently halted its operations, following the crash at the Kotoka International Airport.

A statement from Starbow at the time said it had “suspended its operations with immediate effect.”

It added that “guests with future reservations are invited to contact the airline at 024 500 0000 to make alternative travel arrangements.”

The statement also quoted the Chief Executive Officer of Starbow, Eric Antwi, as saying “All of us at Starbow at this time remain dedicated to our guests, our crew and their families. Their safety and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do, and we will cooperate fully with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and other agencies, to determine the cause of this incident. We hope to be able to provide further information in due course.”

The incident added to previous mishaps involving Starbow flights in 2014 and 2015. A passenger on board the plane had suggested that the pilot ignored bad weather on that fateful day.

A statement from the Emergency Operations Centre of the Kotoka International Airport also said an investigation is being carried out.

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By: citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Starbow sacks workers appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the pilot tried to brave the obvious storm that the plane was caught up in.

The crash, which is said to have resulted in one injury, occurred after the aircraft skidded off the runway during its take-off run.

A statement from the Emergency Operations Centre of the Airport, said operations are continuing as normal as  investigation is carried out into the incident.

The statement, however, made no mention of the storm as stated by the Deputy Minister, who also said he saw five injured persons, contrary to the KIA’s claim that only one person got injured.

“As we were boarding the bus to the aircraft, I got a little concerned. I noticed the rains had started from afar approaching where we were parked” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo told Ghana Web.

Without making any definite statements on the matter, he said the pilot was probably trying to get airborne before the storm reached the airport.

“I am speculating that probably, the pilot tried to beat the oncoming clouds that were rolling in, and we taxied to the runway and the rain really caught up with us. So he stopped, prior to taking off proper, and I got more concerned because I could see that the rain was running down the windows very very fast when the plane was stationary, which signified to me that the wind was on the high side,” the minister recalled.

“When the pilot was about to take off, I said said to himself, wait a minute, is this guy going to take off in this weather?”

“A few seconds later after taxing, we were blown off the runway, literally, completely, for about 80 metres, and I think the plane rested on the perimeter fence,” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo said.

There was some panic within the aircraft at the time, and he said there were a few people screaming.

According to him, some five persons were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Previous Starbow incidents

In 2015, passengers on board a Tamale-bound Starbow airline, had the scare of their lives when the aircraft, BAE with registration 9GSBB, crash landed in Tamale although no injuries were recorded.

In 2014, two people were injured after a Takoradi bound Starbow aircraft made an emergency landing.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other stakeholders in the aviation sector, have often been criticized for not cracking the whip enough on these airline operators, hence putting the lives of passengers at risk.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Starbow pilot ‘ignored’ bad weather – Deputy Energy Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.