The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has pushed back against public allegations surrounding the vessel MV Sankofa, maintaining that it acted lawfully throughout its handling of the case and that neither vessel bearing that name is currently registered under the Ghana flag.
The authority issued a statement on April 22 responding to comments by Samuel Awuku, Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, who had raised concerns about the vessel identified by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number 7395870.
The GMA said the vessel was first registered in Ghana in 1983 as a fishing trawler under the name MV KAAS 105, subsequently renamed MV AFKO 312 in 1987 and MV Marine 711 in 2011, before being formally de-registered on April 23, 2024 after its owners completed all mandatory exit processes, including surrendering its Certificate of Ghanaian Registry. A separate vessel previously named MV Sankofa with IMO number 907855 was registered under the Ghana flag in 2014 but was also de-registered on October 6, 2021.
The authority said the vessel with IMO 7395870 was intercepted by the Ghana Navy during a routine patrol in the country’s territorial waters on July 18, 2025. The crew indicated the ship was conducting sea trials following engine repairs, but it was escorted to the Sekondi Naval Base for inspection. Joint examinations by the Navy and GMA uncovered breaches of maritime labour regulations and the Marine Pollution Act, 2016 (Act 932), including failure to maintain required record books and evidence of false flagging.
Fines imposed totalled US$79,200 for marine pollution violations, GH¢154,800 for maritime labour breaches, and GH¢30,000 for false flagging. The authority said early suspicions that the vessel had carried cargo or conducted commercial activities between Ghanaian ports were not substantiated by investigation, meaning a potential fine of up to US$1 million was not applied. The vessel was released in November 2025 after completing technical remedial measures, obtaining a provisional certificate of registry from Cameroon, and paying part of the assessed fines under a managed payment plan.
The GMA further disclosed that on March 23, 2026, Senegalese authorities contacted Ghana to verify the vessel’s registration and sought consent to board it on suspicion of drug-trafficking. Senegal subsequently found no illicit drugs onboard and discovered electronic documents indicating the vessel was registered under the Cameroonian flag.
The authority accused the MP of abandoning a parliamentary oversight process in favour of public media commentary, saying it had expressed readiness to appear before Parliament only to find the matter taken to the press. It also expressed concern that confidential communications between Senegalese and Ghanaian law enforcement agencies had been made public, warning that such disclosures risk undermining state-to-state security cooperation.
