President of the Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Pet-Paul Wepeba, has criticised the manner in which the remains of victims of the August 6 military helicopter crash were transported, describing it as undignified and a breach of both local and international best practices.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Friday, August 8, 2025, Dr. Wepeba expressed concern over how the bodies of the eight high-profile victims were placed in sacks and carried to the mortuary.

“When it comes to the bodies that were transported, they are humans, for heaven’s sake. For that matter, the situation where they were put in sacks and transported is not a good practice; it doesn’t add up,” he said.

He explained that in accordance with global standards, and even existing Ghanaian protocols, fatalities from incidents of this nature should be placed in zipped, leak-proof body bags to preserve dignity and prevent contamination.

“International best practices, or even in our country, dictate that when situations of this nature occur, we have body bags which come with zips and do not leak. That is dignity. But that wasn’t done,” Dr. Wepeba stressed.

Beyond the dignity of the deceased, he warned that the method used posed potential public health risks. He noted that the victims’ remains, which were reportedly burnt beyond recognition, could still harbour pathogenic organisms capable of infecting those who handled them.

“There are pathogenic organisms that may have gotten to these individuals who carried them. So, there is some degree of public health hazards associated with it,” he added.

Dr. Wepeba attributed the incident to a lack of local capacity in handling disaster victim recovery, urging agencies such as NADMO, the police, and other relevant institutions to strengthen their preparedness and training for such emergencies.

“If we had the proper capacity, and there are institutions such as NADMO, police, and the others, they would know what to do when situations such as these arise,” he said.