Mercer Issues 7-Day Ultimatum Over Beirut Cocaine Bust As Agalga Slams Parliamentary Ad Hoc Probe

Former Sekondi Member of Parliament, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has issued a strict seven-day ultimatum to the government to publish its anti-drug trafficking taskforce roadmap following a massive 46.7-kilogramme cocaine bust linked to Ghana. Speaking on Citi FM on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Mercer demanded a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry with open public hearings to thoroughly investigate all Ghana-related narcotics interceptions since January 2025. However, Majority Leader James Agalga swiftly rejected the proposal on the same day, reiterating the legislative house's long-standing position that Parliament cannot assume the statutory duties of criminal law enforcement agencies.

The bubbling political standoff was triggered by the high-profile arrest of a Syrian passenger at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Lebanese Customs intercepted the traveller after discovering 46.7 kilogrammes of pure cocaine professionally concealed within two pieces of personal luggage, describing the historic haul as the largest single airport drug seizure in the country's history. While the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) claims the arrest resulted from a tightly coordinated "controlled delivery" operation with Beirut, opposition figures have openly slammed the explanation as an institutional cover-up.

Challenging the state's narrative, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has also urged the Ghanaian public not to blindly accept the narcotics commission's explanatory accounts. The former lawmaker argued that if the trans-border operation was indeed a genuine controlled delivery designed to completely dismantle a transnational criminal syndicate, law enforcement would have allowed the smuggler to proceed directly to the final recipient. He questioned why the state is only now "looking for" local accomplices instead of arresting the entire value chain before the cargo left the shores of Kotoka International Airport.

Mercer dismissed the official narrative as an attempt to obscure the facts, drawing parallels to unresolved narcotics cases near Pedro Junction. To ensure transparency, "Our demands are really simple," Mercer stated, emphasizing that President John Dramani Mahama must directly engage Lebanese authorities to issue a joint diplomatic statement. He explained that a joint communiqué is essential to clarify whether the Beirut operation was truly a Ghana-led "controlled delivery" and to establish exactly when local border security was first notified. The opposition maintains that without a transparent timeline, the public cannot differentiate between proactive intelligence operations and systemic institutional failures at Kotoka International Airport.

The fallout also draws attention to a delayed inter-agency anti-narcotics taskforce roadmap, which was ordered by President Mahama six weeks prior following international port breaches in France and Australia. Originally slated for public release on October 1, the delayed document heightened political tensions. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has capitalized on the delay by demanding the resignations of the Interior Minister and the leadership of NACOC and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), warning of escalated civil accountability campaigns if local suspects are not identified.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has capitalized on the operational fallout by amplifying calls for structural accountability across Ghana's transport and security networks. During a concurrent press conference, the minority faction demanded the immediate resignation of the Interior Minister, alongside the wholesale removal of the bosses of NACOC and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL). The opposition warned that persistent international intercepts—including a massive 3.9-tonne cocaine haul seized by French Customs in Dunkirk in September 2026—demonstrate a breakdown in port inspection protocols.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader James Agalga has remained steadfast against parliamentary intervention, arguing that legislative probes risk crossing into active judicial and law enforcement jurisdictions. Agalga defended the administration's record by highlighting domestic seizures and challenging the NPP to a public debate on historical drug enforcement. In response, the Minority Caucus, led by First Deputy Whip Habib Iddrisu, has formally moved under Standing Order 127 to challenge Speaker Alban Bagbin's rejection of their inquiry motion. Agalga indicated the Majority is ready to meet the challenge on the floor once procedural hurdles are cleared.

The controversy unfolds amid broader regional concerns from entities like the UNODC and the British High Commission, which continue to flag Ghana as a prominent transit route for South American cocaine. As domestic and international pressures mount, the public awaits the release of the delayed taskforce roadmap and answers regarding the Beirut intercept.