Minority demands dismissal of Kofi Adams, GTA boss over alleged World Cup visa scandal
The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dismissal of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, over alleged irregularities surrounding visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Minority claims that some individuals were allegedly charged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 to facilitate visa processing and travel arrangements for the tournament.
It is also questioning the use of public institutions in the arrangements and the submission of names to foreign diplomatic missions as part of efforts to secure visas for persons seeking to travel to the World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, October 7, Ranking Member of the Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said records available to the Minority showed that the GTA had been allocated visa slots by the United States and Canadian embassies.
“Our records indicate that the CEO of the GTA, Maame Efua Houadjeto, was allocated 400 visa slots by the United States Embassy and 600 by the Canadian Embassy. If these allocations are accurate, which I believe they are accurate, the public is entitled to know how many visas were ultimately issued, how many applications were rejected, and how the allocated slots were utilised,” he said.
Ekow Assafuah also alleged that the GTA submitted a list of 50 people to the US Embassy, identifying them as media personnel for activities connected with the World Cup.
According to him, the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit conducted due diligence on the names and found that only two of the individuals could be identified as media practitioners.
“Of the 50 names submitted, only two persons... were identified as media practitioners. The 48 were not media practitioners,” he said.
The Minority is demanding a full investigation into the alleged visa arrangements and the roles played by the Sports and Recreation Ministry, the GTA, the National Sports Authority (NSA) and private entities linked to the process.
The latest demand follows the removal of NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah amid ongoing investigations into allegations surrounding a visa facilitation arrangement linked to the World Cup.
The NSA has previously denied authorising any visa facilitation or money-collection scheme and said it was cooperating with police investigations.