Ministry consoles Air Marshall Otu's family

Adukrom (E/R), Jan. 14, GNA - Defence Minister Kwame Addo-Kufuor on Sunday led a delegation from the Ministry of Defence to console the family of the late Air Marshall Michael Otu for the mishap that befell the family last Friday.

A Ghana Air Force helicopter carrying the mortal remains of Air Marshal Otu, Former Chief of Defence Staff, from the Accra Air Force Base Burma Camp for burial crashed at Adukrom and caught fire and in the process cremated the body.


All the 13 passengers and the five crew members on board escaped unhurt.


On behalf of the Ministry and the Ghana Air Force, Dr Addo-Kufuor consoled the family and the Adukrom community and urged them to take consolation in the Lord.


He commended the family for standing firm in the face of the mishap and going ahead with the final funeral rites arrangement to the honour of the late Air Marshall Otu.


After the misfortune, the family went ahead with the final funeral rites arrangements, which included the burial of the cremated body after the Military pathologist on the scene, had retrieved the ashes of Air Marshall Otu, prepared it and put it in a casket for the funeral on Saturday.

A memorial service was held at the Adukrom Bethel Presbyterian Church on Sunday.


Dr Addo-Kufuor was accompanied by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Joseph Boateng, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Ofosu-Appiah as well as senior military officers. As custom demands, the delegation presented four bottles of Schnapps, a bottle of Whiskey, two crates of minerals and two crates of beer and cash of 20 million cedis.


The Minister was later led to the crash site, where he was briefed on accounts of the ill fated copter.


Meanwhile, investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the accident.