‘Fatal helicopter crash has hit us hard’

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has stated that the fatal helicopter crash, which claimed eight lives, has had a negative impact on his Ministry and the country as a whole.

According to him, the tragedy has slowed down the Ministry’s work, particularly in performing its duties such as investigating cases, and prosecuting individuals on trial.

In a video shared by GH One on X on August 13, 2025, Dr Ayine explained that the country is mourning the loss of the eight fallen heroes, and it would be difficult for them to carry out their duties efficiently at the moment after such a painful tragedy.

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“… the entire country has been impacted by this disaster, and the Ministry of Justice is an integral part of the society. So, we have also been negatively impacted. Personally, I was very close to the three top officials and I’m sure you saw me, break down when I was asked to say something about the late Murtala Mohammed.

“It is something that has impacted the entire nation. It has slowed down work as it is understandably the case, because we cannot be mourning our heroes and at the same time be efficiently and happily performing our duties. So, it has impacted us negatively,” he said.

Despite the incident, Dr Ayine remained optimistic that the country would recover from its loss in due time and continue the fight against illegal mining activities, an effort the eight individuals who perished were unable to complete due to their untimely demise.

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He honoured the memory of the victims, eulogising them for their dedicated efforts in addressing the illegal mining menace that is polluting the country’s rivers and for sacrificing their lives in service to the nation.

“God will make a way, that is what I always believe. This country will rise up and then do what the falling heroes were required to do as public officers because they died in the line of duty. The reason they were going for this ceremony was to make lives better for the people of this country,” he said.

“The illegal mining has polluted our rivers, and destroyed the environment. It has made life unbearable for communities living in and around mining areas, and sustainable mining is one of the things that we can do to develop this country. The president is committed to it. The public officers who were going for this ceremony were committed to it and they were working very hard to ensure that we have a system of sustainable mining that will at the same time give us wealth without destroying the environment that produces the wealth,” he added.

Watch the video below:

MAG/VPO

Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s yet-to-air documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below: