The government has mounted a formal defence of President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to fly to South Korea on a private jet owned by his brother, saying the state paid only for fuel and landing fees while avoiding charter costs that could have exceeded US$18,000 per hour on an alternative aircraft.
Communications Minister of State Felix Kwakye Ofosu made the disclosure on Thursday, saying the Ghana Air Force had formally advised the government that the official presidential jet, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, had experienced frequent breakdowns and reliability issues. The state’s presidential aircraft reportedly also lacks the range for non-stop long-haul flights to destinations such as South Korea, meaning refuelling stops or alternative aircraft would have been required regardless.
“The president does not rent that aircraft. Beyond fueling it and paying certain charges such as landing rights, we do not pay for it,” Kwakye Ofosu said. He confirmed that all maintenance, servicing, pilot salaries, and crew costs remain entirely the responsibility of the aircraft’s private owner, Ibrahim Mahama, a businessman and the president’s brother.
The jet in question is a Bombardier Global 6500, branded “Dzata,” valued at approximately US$56 million and first publicly sighted at Kotoka International Airport on March 3, 2026, just days before the president’s departure for Seoul.
The opposition has not accepted the justification. Walewale MP Abdul Kabiru Tiah Mahama told parliament the arrangement breaches the Code of Conduct for Government Appointees, describing it as a palpable conflict of interest given that the aircraft owner is the president’s brother. Two NPP lawmakers have since filed a formal parliamentary question to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence demanding full disclosure of costs and criteria governing the president’s travel arrangements.
IMANI Africa Founding President Franklin Cudjoe pointed to what he described as a contradiction, noting that the president had on March 5 signed a directive banning boards of state-owned enterprises from international travel on public funds while himself travelling on a privately owned aircraft without public explanation. “Mr. President, you cannot be asking your appointees not to travel without providing economic justification and then you jump on your brother’s plane,” Cudjoe wrote.
Parliament approved an agreement for the procurement of a replacement presidential jet earlier this year. Kwakye Ofosu said the acquisition process had begun but would take time, making the current interim arrangement necessary for a president who still needs to conduct official international business.
During his four-day working visit to Seoul from March 10 to 14, President Mahama met South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung at the Blue House to discuss maritime security, climate action, digital innovation, and agribusiness cooperation. He also commissioned a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessel for Ghana during the visit.
