The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, says he is prepared to face a parliamentary probe into allegations of visa fraud linked to travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He said he had nothing to hide and would not shy away from an investigation into the matter.
His comments follow calls by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Parliament to summon him and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to answer questions over the alleged irregularities.
The party is also demanding a public inquiry, the release of documents relating to the arrangements and a clear timeline for investigations.
Addressing the media on Thursday, October 15, the NPP’s Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, said Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee must investigate the matter to establish what happened and identify those responsible.
Speaking in an interview with Sammie Wiafe on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Thursday, October 15, Mr Adams said, “I am a Member of Parliament, and I would not run away from a parliamentary probe if they so desire.”
Mr Adams also dismissed claims that the Ministry of Sports and Recreation submitted a list identifying individuals as officials of the National Sports Authority (NSA) to facilitate visa applications.
“The Ministry did not submit any list to anybody with any descriptions as officials of NSA. That is a lie the New Patriotic Party have been pushing,” he said.
He challenged the NPP to produce evidence to support the allegation, insisting that the list submitted through the established process described the individuals as volunteers and event coordinators.
“There was an established process of submitting information and data to the embassy, a process that we followed duly, and we submitted a list that was only described as volunteers and event coordinators. It didn’t say they were staff of NSA,” he said.
Mr Adams also denied that any list had been submitted to Canadian authorities on behalf of the NSA or that the ministry had provided embassies with descriptions of official positions, as alleged by the NPP.
He accused the opposition party of spreading falsehoods for political gain and challenged it to support its claims with evidence.
The NPP’s demands follow allegations that more than US$600,000 was collected from individuals seeking assistance with visa applications and travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
