Ghana’s controversy over visa arrangements linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has widened into a dispute over accountability, with the parliamentary Minority alleging irregularities across several public institutions while the Sports Ministry insists its actions did not amount to illegal visa facilitation or proof of corruption.
The two accounts, presented in separate briefings on Wednesday, October 7, and Friday, October 9, 2026, raise questions about the identities submitted to foreign embassies, the roles assigned to applicants, alleged payments and the extent of ministerial involvement.
The Minority’s 49-page report calls for a broader investigation beyond the suspended former National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. The Ministry, meanwhile, maintains that its correspondence was intended to facilitate administrative review, not guarantee visas or endorse applicants.
Minority’s case: What the report alleges
The Minority, led at the briefing by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, says documents and correspondence raise concerns about the NSA, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Sports Ministry and private partner TRIBE Culture Fest. It argues that the investigation must establish who prepared, checked and approved the names submitted to foreign diplomatic missions.
The major allegations include:
- 102 names submitted to Canada: The Minority says only 15 people on a list submitted as NSA personnel or affiliates could be verified as NSA employees, leaving 87 whose status it says requires explanation.
- Four applicants flagged by US officials: The Minority says the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit sought proof of employment for four applicants.
- Questions over job titles: It alleges that some applicants were presented under positions that did not exist in the NSA’s organisational structure, or as personnel despite not being employees.
- Alleged payments: The Minority cites reported payments of thousands of dollars by applicants, including claims of US$7,000–US$14,000 in some arrangements. It wants investigators to establish who received the money and how it was used.
- GTA’s media list: The Minority also alleges that only two of 50 people presented to the US Embassy as media personnel could be identified as working media practitioners.
- Wider accountability: It wants the roles of the relevant institutions and officials examined and has called for the removal of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and GTA Chief Executive Maame Efua Houadjeto.
These are allegations made by the Minority and should not be treated as proven findings of fraud.
Sports Ministry’s response: What it disputes
The Ministry’s response, as summarised in the first supplied graphic and reported by Graphic Online, rejects the suggestion that its involvement establishes corruption or illegal visa facilitation by the minister.
Its key arguments are:
- A 90-person request: The Ministry says the NSA’s request concerned 90 volunteers and event coordinators linked to World Cup activities.
- Administrative handling: It says the minister referred the correspondence to the Ministry’s Chief Director for onward transmission to the relevant technical working group for due diligence, rather than approving or guaranteeing visas.
- No control over visa decisions: The Ministry maintains that approval or refusal remained the responsibility of the US Embassy and relevant immigration authorities.
- Warning against impersonators: It points to public warnings by Kofi Adams against paying people who promise special access to visas.
- No evidence of personal financial gain: The Ministry says no evidence has been presented showing that the minister personally received money or commissions from the arrangements.
- Investigation and accountability: It says concerns were raised and the matter referred for investigation, with refunds where appropriate and sanctions against anyone found culpable.
The Ministry’s defence does not, by itself, resolve the questions about how applicants were identified, whether their institutional roles were accurately described or whether money changed hands in the alleged arrangements.
GTA’s separate response
The Ghana Tourism Authority issued its own statement on Friday, October 9, denying that it collected money in exchange for visas or visa opportunities. The authority said its programme was intended to promote Ghana’s tourism, culture and creative industries during the World Cup.
The GTA said it engaged the US Embassy and Canadian High Commission for guidance on application procedures but could neither issue visas nor guarantee approvals. It also said participants were expected to pay their own visa, travel and accommodation costs after a proposed private-sector sponsorship arrangement proved impracticable. CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto denied soliciting, receiving or authorising payments to secure visas.
That statement is a denial of the allegations, not an independent determination of what happened. The specific claims about applicant identities, payments and institutional introductions still require documentary verification.
What is established — and what remains unresolved?
| Issue | What the available reporting establishes |
|---|---|
| NSA Director-General | Yaw Ampofo Ankrah was suspended amid the controversy; the NSA had previously said it was cooperating with the police investigation. |
| The 102-name list | The Minority says only 15 of the 102 people submitted to Canada were verifiable as NSA staff. The underlying list and independent verification would be needed to confirm that claim. |
| Alleged payments | The Minority has reported substantial payments, while the Ministry and GTA deny wrongdoing or collecting money for visa opportunities. The recipients and payment trail remain central questions. |
| Minister’s involvement | The Ministry says the minister’s role was administrative and that no evidence proves personal financial benefit. The Minority wants his role investigated. |
| Criminal liability | The allegations and denials are not a verdict. Responsibility must be determined through evidence and the relevant investigations. |
The central question: Who authorised the arrangements, and who benefited?
The two briefings frame the controversy differently. The Minority argues that the documentation points to a wider institutional problem that cannot end with the suspension of one official. The Sports Ministry argues that administrative correspondence and requests for review should not be confused with visa approval, corruption or personal financial gain.
Both positions leave the public-interest questions that investigators need to answer: Who compiled and approved the lists? Were applicants accurately represented to foreign missions? Who collected any payments, under what agreement, and where did the money go?
Until those questions are answered through independently verified records and investigation findings, the responsible approach is to report the allegations, the official denials and the evidence still required—without presenting either side’s claims as a final verdict.
Leave feedback about this