Assafuah petitions OSP over World Cup visa 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 in visa facilitation arrangements linked to 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).

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

He said the concerns required an independent investigation to establish whether public officers or private individuals used their positions to secure 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 questions about the submission of a list of 102 people to the Canadian Embassy, saying records available to him showed that only 15 could be verified as NSA personnel.

He also cited the reported allocation of 400 United States and 800 Canadian visa-related slots associated with the GTA, as well as allegations that individuals paid about GH¢2,250 each under arrangements involving GHATOF.

The petition asks the OSP to examine relevant contracts, beneficiary lists, receipts, bank records and official correspondence to establish how the arrangements were managed and how funds were used.

Mr Assafuah stressed that the reported discrepancies did not automatically establish criminal wrongdoing but warranted further scrutiny.

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

He is asking the OSP to identify those responsible for any proven wrongdoing and take appropriate legal action where the evidence supports it.

The petition does not establish that any of the institutions or individuals named committed an offence. It seeks an independent investigation into the allegations.

The petition comes amid scrutiny of alleged visa facilitation arrangements involving the Ghana Tourism Authority and the National Sports Authority. The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over the arrangements, including allegations that some applicants were charged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa assistance.

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