Ghana Tourism Authority denies collecting $14,000 for World Cup visas

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has officially denied allegations that it collected between $7,000 and $14,000 from individuals to facilitate visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The rebuttal comes after the Minority in Parliament, led by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), held a press conference accusing state officials and the National Sports Authority (NSA) of orchestrating a fraudulent visa application scheme. The GTA clarified that its role is strictly limited to tourism promotion and that it lacks the legal mandate to approve or issue visas, which remains the sole prerogative of diplomatic authorities.

The controversy was fueled by Old Tafo Member of Parliament Vincent Ekow Assafuah, who named several individuals, including media personality Andy Dosty, as alleged beneficiaries of the scheme. Assafuah claimed that the GTA submitted names to the United States Embassy under the guise of official business to secure travel documents for non-employees. This has led to calls from the Minority for the immediate dismissal of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and GTA Chief Executive Officer Maame Afua Houadjeto. NPP communication team member Emmanuel Senyo Amekplenu argued that the Minister must step aside during investigations, describing the current handling of the situation as a sign of incompetence.

In response, GTA CEO Maame Afua Houadjeto has strongly denied any personal involvement in the alleged racketeering. The Authority emphasized that participants are responsible for their own travel expenses and that any payments made to independent travel agents should not be confused with direct payments to the state agency. Meanwhile, representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have defended the Sports Minister. Wonder Madilo argued on Metro TV that the rejection of a visa application does not constitute evidence of criminal wrongdoing, while Rashid Tanko-Computer, the NDC Deputy Director of Elections, questioned the credibility of the $15,000 payment claims, suggesting they may be politically motivated.

The fallout from the allegations has extended to the media landscape, with Andy Dosty expressing outrage over being named in the scandal and describing the claims as unfounded. Despite the political friction, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the NSA have maintained that they are cooperating fully with an ongoing police investigation into the travel arrangements. As Ghana prepares for the upcoming tournament, the focus remains on whether these investigations will uncover institutional irregularities or if the allegations will be dismissed as partisan discourse.