Kofi Adams
The Minority in Parliament has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the alleged visa racketeering scandal surrounding arrangements for Ghanaian supporters to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The petition, presented by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, seeks investigations into alleged criminal conduct and abuse of public office in the handling of the World Cup visa arrangements and fundraising activities.
Addressing the media in Parliament yesterday, Mr. Assafuah also disclosed that the Minority had petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to establish an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the entire controversy.
He said the matter involved serious allegations that required an independent and transparent investigation rather than an internal committee established by the Presidency.
According to him, the President, through his presidential advisers, had invited him to assist investigations by a committee reportedly established to investigate the scandal, but he declined the invitation.
He explained that his decision to boycott the committee was based on concerns about its independence and transparency.
“The President cannot be seen to be investigating his own ministers. You cannot be a judge in your own cause,” he said.
Mr. Assafuah, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, further questioned the secrecy surrounding the committee, saying its terms of reference had not been made public, its membership was unknown, and its proceedings were being conducted behind closed doors.
He insisted that the country needed an independent commission of inquiry with powers to subpoena witnesses, publish evidence and ensure that persons found culpable were held accountable.
Turning to the World Cup raffle, the Ranking Member accused the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Rambell Lotteries of misleading Ghanaians through what he described as a deceptive fundraising arrangement.
He said the raffle was promoted as an opportunity for 220 Ghanaian supporters to travel to the tournament on fully sponsored packages covering air tickets, accommodation and match tickets.
He recalled that the first raffle was launched on November 4, 2025, through a joint initiative involving the GFA, NLA and Rambell Lotteries, with participants required to stake GH¢10 through a short code.
However, he alleged that the first raffle was subsequently abandoned after money had been collected from participants, raising questions about whether all the affected persons had been refunded.
He said a second raffle was launched on March 18, 2026, at the Ministry of Finance, with President Mahama participating in the launch to demonstrate support for the initiative.
Mr. Assafuah argued that the President’s involvement gave the arrangement credibility and encouraged ordinary Ghanaians to participate.
He alleged that winners of the second raffle were subsequently directed to submit scanned copies of their passports, photographs and police reports through a WhatsApp number bearing the international dialling code +223, rather than an official Ghanaian number.
According to him, some winners who reported to the embassy for visa appointments were allegedly informed that their names were not on the official lists.
He cited the case of one winner who was notified of his success on April 10, 2026, and asked to submit his passport five days later.
The winner was subsequently required to attend a meeting at the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, complete visa forms and submit other supporting documents in May.
Mr. Assafuah said the winner was eventually given a US visa interview date of September 2, 2026, several weeks after the World Cup final on July 19, 2026.
He questioned why the travel arrangements for the winners had not been completed before the tournament, despite the promises made when the raffle was launched.
The Ranking Member also challenged the Sports Minister’s account that raffle winners benefited from 2,922 group-stage tickets reportedly purchased with public funds.
However, he claimed that some of the raffle winners were not processed to travel to the United States or Canada and had not received the promised match tickets.
He also questioned why the government and the raffle organisers had not published the names of beneficiaries or disclosed the proceeds from the two raffles.
Sports Minister
Responding to the allegations, the Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Adams, disclosed that only five of the 31 winners of the second raffle organised to sponsor Ghanaians to the 2026 FIFA World Cup successfully secured United States visas and travelled to the tournament.
He said the five winners travelled to the United States, participated in the activities organised for them, watched World Cup matches and returned to Ghana.
According to him, the remaining winners were unable to make the trip because their visa applications were either rejected or their interview dates fell outside the period of the tournament.
He said the government had, however, made alternative arrangements to ensure that those who missed the opportunity were not left disadvantaged.
Mr. Adams explained that the affected winners were initially offered the opportunity to attend a subsequent international competition, with Morocco being the immediate option.
However, he said many of them declined the offer because the notice was too short, having originally made arrangements and sought permission from their employers and families to travel for the World Cup.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House