Ekow Assafuah petitions OSP to probe alleged World Cup visa facilitation irregularities

The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate alleged corruption and financial irregularities surrounding visa facilitation arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The petition names the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ministry of Sports and Recreation, TRIBE Culture Fest and the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) as entities whose roles in the arrangements should be examined.

Mr Assafuah is asking the OSP to investigate the selection of beneficiaries, official certifications, reported payments and the management of sponsorship proceeds associated with the arrangements.

He said an independent investigation was necessary to determine whether public officials or private individuals abused their positions to obtain improper benefits.

“I do not ask your Office to presume criminal liability on the basis of allegations alone. Rather, I request a thorough, impartial and evidence-based investigation to establish the facts,” he stated.

The MP raised concerns about a list of 102 individuals reportedly submitted to the Canadian Embassy, arguing that records available to him indicated that only 15 of those listed could be verified as NSA personnel.

He also questioned the reported allocation of 400 United States and 800 Canadian visa-related slots associated with the GTA.

Mr Assafuah further cited allegations that some individuals paid about GH¢2,250 each under arrangements involving GHATOF.

He wants the OSP to scrutinise relevant contracts, beneficiary lists, receipts, bank records and official correspondence to establish how the arrangements were organised and how funds received were handled.

According to him, the discrepancies cited in the petition do not in themselves establish criminal conduct but are serious enough to warrant further investigation.

“The integrity of public institutions depends upon the willingness to subject the exercise of public authority to independent scrutiny,” he said.

The MP is seeking the identification of persons found responsible for any wrongdoing and appropriate legal action where investigations establish that offences have been committed.

He, however, stressed that the petition should not be construed as establishing that any of the institutions or individuals named had committed an offence, noting that the purpose was to facilitate an independent investigation into the allegations.

The petition comes amid growing scrutiny of visa facilitation arrangements involving the GTA and NSA, with the Minority in Parliament raising concerns over the process.

There have also been allegations that some applicants were charged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa assistance linked to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has directed Yaw Ampofo Ankrah to step aside as Director-General of the NSA amid a police investigation into the allegations.