News that filtered into the local and international domain about the detention of the country’s Minister of Transport and Communication, Dr. Prince Harding in one of the country’s police station in the western part of the city is not a pleasant one. The detainee himself is not a happy man as he sits there awaiting the next stage of the process. He may not know the angle or dimension the case will take, because of that, it is very certain that he is in a state of dilemma thinking aloud.

Dr. Prince Harding is not the only individual detained, but he is the only government Minister detained with respect to the Paramount Helicopter crash that perished the lives of twenty two individuals mostly Togolese and one Russian onboard the old and dilapidated Antonov craft that was not even fit to be used as a cargo flight. The Ministry’s Professional Head generally referred to as the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Bockarie is also detained on the grounds that he complied with instructions giving to him by his boss who happens to be the Minister. It is also rumoured that the Director of Civil Aviation, Mr. Ngongor is also detained. Statements from these individuals have either been obtained or in the process to be obtained from them, explaining the role each of them played that culminated into the destruction of innocent lives. It would be recalled that after the disaster on June 3^rd, 2007, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mr. Fred Carew did promise both the Togolese government and its people that the owners and managers would be charged to court for negligence. The offence of negligence though criminal is not enough to set the right precedent. This is because it was not only negligence on the part of the officials of the Ministry of Transport and Communication but also conspiracy did take place. This element would conclude this piece for readers to know how the conspiracy worked that saw the Paramount Airline occupying the air space of the country that resulted into this memorable and heart breaking disaster in the history of the country’s aviation industry.

The focus of the writer at this initial stage is thus, why was Paramount Airline grounded for weeks before allowed to fly? Second, what was the outcome of the investigation of the International Civil Aviation Organization? Was the outcome taken to Cabinet or was only in the closet of the Minister until he gave instruction to his subjects to allow the scrap to fly and kill. Also, when are the owners and managers going to be detained? The issue of the offence or the type of charges to be preferred against them is a matter for the law officers department to determine, which is under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, but for the purpose of brainstorming and intellectual discourse suggestions can be made.

In response to these queries, the following have been surfaced, but first, a rambling on the findings is necessary. Did the Minister of Transport and Communication take the outcome of ICAO’s findings about Helicopters flying the airspace of Sierra Leone including Paramount Airline to Cabinet for discussion by members of Cabinet. Was the report discussed and decision arrived at that the Minister should take administrative action? This is where Dr. Harding needed professional and technical advice if his motive was patriotic. Browsing through the report as I piece this article together, the Minister should have used his chemistry and physics background to save the crash victims if nothing had clouded his mind or was not influenced by external forces or seduced by incentive that motivated him to command his Permanent Secretary to grant permission to fly against the background of the ICAO report and findings. It is no secret that Paramount Airline was grounded as a result of mechanical and technical reasons followed by complaints from the general public of poor maintenance, unreliability and other reasons that the public was frightened about. With this knowledge and coupled with the findings from ICAO Paramount Airline should have still remained on the ground.

The outcome of the report was clear, unambiguous, and to the point “…Paramount Airline does not meet international Aviation standard” This could have been the eye opener for the academic doctor to take the necessary action and prevent himself from the current embarrassment. Whether it was an oversight or deliberate action to put the rotten flight into the air he is now paying the price. The defence of the Permanent Secretary that he was instructed to grant permission to Paramount Airline to fly by the Minister could be described as premature and inadmissible in any sober court of law. As a professional, he is there to give professional advise and if his advise is not adhered to he has the option to either resign or inform the public through the media, but to say that he was instructed to do something which in his professional judgment is incorrect is not only negligence but an act that could warrant the seizure and suspension of his professional credentials and render him non- functional for a considerable period of time especially when twenty two lives had been perished as a result of that.

The arrest, detention and subsequent prosecution of the Minister, his Permanent Secretary, Mr. Bockarie and Director of Civil Aviation, Mr. Ngongor is just the beginning of the journey if justice is seen to be done. People like Bobby Dourozski, the Ukrainian hustler who knowingly brought the rotten and outdated Russian Antonov craft to Sierra Leone, using the country as a dumping ground should be behind bars at this time. But it would appear that the Attorney General, Mr. Fred Carew is delaying action for the hustler to escape? He should have been the first person, followed by the managers to be arrested and charge to court to explain why he has used the rotten Helicopter to kill twenty two innocent people after he had exploited them.

Apart from the offence of negligence, Bobby Dourozski should be charged with offences like conspiracy, murder and extortion. Legal arguments could either subscribe or dismiss these charges for want of evidence. But there are evidences to substantiate the charges and let the law office, Anti corruption do their assignment well to get the likes of this Ukrainian hustler behind bars and IPC Tours for managing a rotten Helicopter in the country.

STANDARD TIMES PRESS SIERRA LEONE Mr. Attorney General, What About the Owners of Paramount Airlines? PAGE

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone: Police have arrested four government officials, including the transport minister, in connection with a helicopter crash earlier this month that killed 22 people, Sierra Leone’s government said.

A statement late Friday said the four men were arrested and detained “to assist with the investigations” into allegations that officials accepted bribes to remove a safety-related flight ban on two commercial airlines. One of those companies, Paramount Airlines, operated the helicopter that crashed on June 3.

The other officials arrested were the transport minister’s permanent secretary, Sierra Leone’s civil aviation director and the deputy director.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the arrested men had been charged with a crime.

The helicopter was ferrying a group of Togolese soccer fans and sports officials — including Togolese Minister for Youth and Sports Richard Attipoe — to Sierra Leone’s main airport when it exploded in flames. The Togolese were returning home after cheering their team’s 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone at an African Cup of Nations qualifying match.

Helicopters are used as the main transport between the airport and the capital, which sits across a bay on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Russian-made Paramount helicopters were grounded in January because of concerns about engine malfunction. The ban was lifted in March.

Transport Minister Prince Harding, Civil Aviation Director George Gbongbor and Deputy Director Badara Alieu Tarawallie were suspended soon after the crash. The fourth detainee, Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Abdul Rahman Wurie had not been suspended.

Wurie had previously told the Associated Press that the ban was lifted after an air-worthiness review by the International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO spokesman Denis Chagnon said this report was incorrect, and that the organization had performed no such survey.

The government officials are being held in police stations in the capital, Freetown.

After the crash, the government grounded all commercial helicopters operating in the country. The only other way to get to the airport from Freetown is via sea ferry.

In 2001, a U.N. helicopter traveling from U.N. headquarters in Sierra Leone to the airport crashed into the bay, killing all seven aboard. The U.N. said at the time a mechanical problem appeared to have been the cause.

Sierra Leone aviation officials arrested over helicopter crash – International Herald Tribune

African Carrier Is On EU Blacklist

Paramount Airlines has operated safely in Sierra Leone for more than five years — but the government of the West African country is determined to prosecute the carrier following a helicopter crash earlier this month, killing a 20-member Togolese sports delegation and the two Russian pilots.

Fredrick Carew, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone told reporters Monday that “the proprietors and management of Paramount Airlines, owners of the killer helicopter that crashed beyond recognition at the Lungi International Airport resulting in the death of Togolese nationals and two Russians, may be charged to court for negligence”.

As ANN reported, the Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter was taking the group of soccer fans from the small West African country of Togo — as well as the Togolese Minister for Youth and Sports Richard Attipoe — to the Lungi International Airport when it went down in the country’s capital, Freetown.

Sierra Leone President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah grounded all commercial helicopters in response and suspended the country’s transport minister after the accident. The Mi-8 reportedly caught fire while descending to land.

“Even when it is proven that the helicopter has an insurance cover and has gone through mandatory tests, if a case of negligence is suspected, then the Law Office will take action by charging the management of the helicopter company to court.

“Again, where it is proven that the accident could have been avoided if the management had taken precautionary action, then the Law Office will take action by charging the management of the helicopter company to court,” Carew said.

According to the BBC, the accident helicopter had been grounded previously after it failed safety checks. Paramount Airlines is on the list of African airlines banned from operating within the European Union due to safety concerns.

.:: Aero-News Network: The Aviation and Aerospace World’s Daily/Real-Time News and Information Service ::.

The government in Sierra Leone has expressed determination to prosecute “Paramount Airlines” which owned the helicopter the helicopter that killed a 20-member Togolese sports delegation including their sports minister.

Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Fredrick Carew told journalists here Monday that “the proprietors and management of Paramount Airlines, owners of the killer helicopter that crashed beyond recognition at the Lungi International Airport resulting in the death of Togolese nationals and two Russians, may be charged to court for negligence”.
One of the company’s helicopters crashed and burst into flames 3 June 2007 helicopter killing twenty Togolese nationals and two Russian pilots.
“Even when it is proven that the helicopter has an insurance cover and has gone through mandatory tests, if a case of negligence is suspected, then the Law Office will take action by charging the management of the helicopter company to court.
“Again, where it is proven that the accident could have been avoided if the management had taken precautionary action, then the Law Office will take action by charging the management of the helicopter company to court,” Carew explained.
Though Paramount Airlines operated in Sierra Leone for more than five years before the fatal accident last week, their helicopters were recently grounded due to concerns expressed by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization over their airworthiness.

Republique Togolaise – Sierra Leone govt pursues crashed helicopter case

Sierra Leone President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah has grounded all commercial helicopters and suspended the country’s transport minister after a Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter caught fire on its descent for landing Sunday night, killing 22 people in the West African country’s capital of Freetown.

The helicopter was taking a group of soccer fans from the small West African country of Togo — as well as the Togolese Minister for Youth and Sports Richard Attipoe — to the Lungi International Airport when it went down.

Kabbah declared three days of mourning and promptly grounded all commercial helicopters including those commuters use to get across a bay to Freetown. The only other alternative is by sea ferry.

No potential lift date for the suspension has been announced. The Togonese government dispatched a six-person delegate to assist with the investigation.

Sierra Leone’s Information Minister Septimus Kaikai vowed his government will “take a serious look at these commercial helicopter companies to make sure that the public is given adequate safety.”

According to the Associated Press, several Togolese called for an investigation after a Togolese soccer official in Lome, the capital of Togo, claimed to have received a text message from someone aboard the flight saying they had received death threats from other soccer fans in Freetown.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) President Sepp Blatter said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedies.

“Our pain at these losses is all the greater given that they both occurred only a few days after we had come together for the 57th FIFA Congress in Zurich,” he said.

Link to .:: Aero-News Network: The Aviation and Aerospace World’s Daily/Real-Time News and Information Service ::.

Public released Statement by PDL

The Paramount Airlines Shuttle Helicopter crashed in Freetown, on Sunday June 3rd 2007, killing all people on board.

The Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) is not unaware that one mistake rarely causes an aircraft accident. While we believe that it is always a series of events that snowball into disaster, there are as well, many hances to break the chain and prevent disaster. And whenever the chain is broken, no one would notice that disaster is eminent. The same can also be said that, sometimes whenever the chain is broken, we would discover a cause that can and must be corrected to avoid the occurrence of disaster.

The above is exactly what worries the PDL. We are concerned about the actual chain that developed into the deadly crashed of the helicopter in Freetown last Sunday, killing every person on board including highly
placed officials of the Government of the Republic of Togo. The PDL therefore welcome the decision by Government of Togo to send a team of investigators to  Sierra Leone to find the whole truth surrounding the
cause of the Helicopter accident in Freetown, which led to the death of Hon. Atipe Kwako, the Republic of Togo Minister of Sports and others on board the
helicopter.

Such investigation is necessary and warranting, because the circumstances leading to the crash was and still not clear as to whether it is a sabotage or
accident, or even negligence.

From what people who were at the scene of the crash said, it is enough to catalogue the evidential information, which suggests that, the Paramount Airlines Shuttle Helicopter suffered an on-board fire and a massive loss of power before it crashed. That is to assume that the fire may have been associated with an in-flight detonation from an explosive or incendiary device.

It has to be proven beyond all doubts that the crash was due to mechanical failure and not sabotage. Sierra Leone is not at war for anyone to presume that the crash was “the result of anti-aircraft munitions. It would have been easy for any experts to conclude that the said shuttle helicopter came down as a result of anti-aircrafts if the crash had occurred in the East where the Guinean forces of aggression are bent on causing mayhem against our citizens.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who died in the crash.

Crash site view from the helicopter. 

President Kabbah on site.

Debris covered with UN sheets. 

Full Coverage on the Awareness Times

FREETOWN (Reuters) – Twenty-two people, most of them Togolese sports officials, were killed when a passenger helicopter exploded and crashed on Sunday at Sierra Leone’s main international airport, aviation officials said.

The Russian pilot of the Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter survived the crash. The helicopter was operated by Paramount Airlines, which shuttles passengers between Sierra Leone’s coastal capital Freetown and Lungi airport.

The helicopter was carrying a delegation of Togolese sports officials who had earlier attended an African Nations Cup soccer qualifying game played in Freetown between Sierra Leone and Togo. Togo won 1-0.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. The helicopter came down in flames on an airport runway.

“There was an explosion on board the helicopter before it landed,” Donald Bull, general manager of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority, told reporters.

Rescue workers were later seen trying to extricate the charred bodies of the victims from the burned crash wreckage.

Bull said most of those killed were Togolese and it was not immediately clear if there were any other nationalities on board. The victims did not include players from the Togolese national soccer team.

The Togolese sports officials had apparently chartered the helicopter to catch their flight back to Togo.

Paramount Airlines is one of two commercial companies that run helicopter services between Freetown and Lungi airport, ferrying passengers in a 7-minute flight over the Sierra Leone river.

The alternative slower route is to use rusting river ferries or local fishing boats.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a one-day trip to Sierra Leone, a former British colony, last week as part of a farewell tour to Africa.

He held talks at Lungi airport with the presidents of Sierra Leone and Liberia and was made a paramount chief by local traditional rulers in recognition for having sent British troops to Freetown in 2000 to help speed the end of a brutal civil war.

Link to News | Africa – Reuters.com