Full takeaways from Minority’s briefing on alleged World Cup visa scheme

The Minority in Parliament has called for a broader investigation into the alleged World Cup visa scheme, arguing that the controversy goes beyond the suspension of former Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.

According to the Minority, the alleged visa arrangements involve the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Sports Ministry, and TRIBE Culture Fest, raising questions about how applicants were presented and facilitated for travel to the United States and Canada.

The Minority made the claims during a briefing on the controversy, calling for investigations into the institutions and officials allegedly connected to the arrangements.

The Minority said the US Embassy's Fraud Prevention Unit flagged four applicants and requested evidence to establish their employment with the National Sports Authority.

The development, according to the Minority, raises questions about how the individuals were identified and presented as NSA personnel in connection with the visa arrangements.

The Minority also raised concerns over claims that some applicants allegedly presented themselves as NSA staff despite not being employees of the authority.

The Minority further disclosed that the Canadian Embassy requested clarification regarding the identities and roles of applicants who had been presented as affiliates of the National Sports Authority.

According to the briefing, 102 people were submitted to Canada as NSA personnel, but only 15 were verified.

This means 87 names remain unverified, with the minority demanding an explanation over their inclusion and the basis on which they were presented as NSA personnel.

The discrepancy, the Minority argues, requires a thorough investigation to establish who submitted the names and why the individuals were identified as NSA personnel.

The Minority also raised concerns over the amounts some applicants allegedly paid to facilitate the arrangements.

According to the briefing, some applicants allegedly paid between US$8,000 and US$9,000 for the arrangements.

The Minority contrasted these alleged payments with an NSA arrangement that stated fees of US$3,000 for the United States and US$2,000 for Canada.

The difference between the stated fees and the amounts some applicants allegedly paid has therefore become one of the issues the Minority wants investigated.

The minority has also raised questions about positions allegedly assigned to some applicants.

According to the briefing, concerns have emerged over whether some of the positions presented as part of the NSA arrangements actually existed.

The Minority said some individuals allegedly presented themselves as NSA employees even though they were not employed by the authority.

The issue, it argues, requires investigators to establish how such individuals came to be presented as NSA personnel and whether any officials were involved in the process.

Another issue raised by the minority concerns some people who travelled to the United States under the arrangements.

The minority said some of those who travelled to the US have reportedly not returned to Ghana.

It is calling for the circumstances surrounding their travel, their status, and whether they were part of the alleged arrangements to be established through a proper investigation.

The minority has also called for the role of Sports Minister Kofi Adams in the controversy to be investigated.

It said the minister's involvement and responsibilities in relation to the arrangements must be properly examined.

The Minority is further calling for Kofi Adams and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority to be dismissed while demanding a wider investigation into the institutions and individuals connected to the matter.

The Minority wants the National Sports Authority, Ghana Tourism Authority, Sports Ministry, and TRIBE Culture Fest, as well as implicated officials, to be investigated.

It said the investigations should determine the extent of administrative responsibility and establish whether any criminal conduct occurred.

The Minority's position is that anyone found to have been administratively responsible should be sanctioned, while anyone found to be criminally liable should be prosecuted.

The opposition side of Parliament has therefore stressed that the suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah should not be treated as the conclusion of the matter.

"The suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah must not be mistaken for the end of accountability."

The Minority argues that the questions surrounding the alleged World Cup visa arrangements require answers beyond one individual, particularly concerning the identities submitted to foreign embassies, the fees allegedly paid, the roles assigned to applicants, and the responsibilities of the institutions involved.

For now, the allegations remain subject to verification and investigation.