A member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has raised alarm over the state of three Ghana Police Service helicopters.

The Ashaiman Member of Parliament described them as “flying coffins” that are unfit for use.

His remarks follow public concerns that these police aircraft could have been deployed for search and rescue efforts after last week’s military helicopter crash, which claimed the lives of eight people, including the Defence Minister and the Environment Minister.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsnite, Mr Norgbey revealed that the helicopters in question were manufactured in 1976 and have been grounded since their delivery.

“The 1976 helicopters that were delivered, as we speak now, they cannot be used because they were not fit for purpose. A 1976 aircraft, that is a flying coffin,” he said, stressing that the nearly 50-year-old machines are unsafe and incapable of performing modern policing duties.

The MP noted that the aircraft remain idle in a hangar despite the initial fanfare surrounding their procurement.

Mr Norgbey also addressed the status of another set of helicopters promised by government.

In October 2021, President Akufo-Addo announced plans to deliver three helicopters to the Ghana Police Service by November that year, alongside the completion of officer training and hangar preparations.

However, these aircraft have not arrived.

According to Mr Norgbey, the delay is linked to complications from Ghana’s debt restructuring process.

“We were made to understand that was due to the debt restructuring during that period,” he stated on Monday, August 11.