The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, October 15, 2026, called on Parliament to summon Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to answer questions over the 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal, in which more than US$600,000 was allegedly collected from people seeking visa and travel help.
The demand was made by NPP Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye, who also urged Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to investigate the matter and called for a full public inquiry.
It comes a day after Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah submitted separate petitions to President John Dramani Mahama, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), asking for independent investigations.
The scandal centres on visa facilitation arrangements involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the GTA and private event organiser TRIBE Culture Fest ahead of the World Cup in the United States and Canada.
NPP wants Kofi Adams and GTA CEO to answer questions in Parliament
Mr Aboagye said Parliament “must step in and summon their member”, referring to the Sports Minister, who is also an MP. He also called for the GTA CEO, Maame Efua Houadjeto, to answer questions on the floor of the House.
He said an inquiry would reassure Ghana’s international partners that the alleged fraud was not state-sanctioned and that those involved would be held to account.
“Many of them were ordinary Ghanaians who trusted the name of a public institution,” he said of the people who paid for visa assistance.
Documents the NPP wants released in the World Cup visa scandal
The party listed several documents it wants made public:
- The memorandum of understanding between the NSA and TRIBE Culture Fest
- The supplementary agreement to that MoU
- The GTA’s agreement with the company
- The name lists submitted to the US and Canadian embassies
- A Foreign Affairs Ministry letter dated May 28, 2026
It also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to brief the public on its engagements with the US and Canadian embassies and on steps to protect Ghanaian travellers from any repercussions.
Mr Aboagye warned that long investigations without clear outcomes could fuel suspicions of a cover-up, and asked for a definite timeline and a published report.
Assafuah petitions Mahama, OSP and CHRAJ over visa allegations
In his petitions dated Wednesday, October 14, Mr Assafuah asked CHRAJ to investigate suspected corruption and abuse of power under Article 218 of the Constitution, and the OSP to probe suspected corruption under Act 959.
He asked President Mahama to set up a commission of inquiry under Article 278(1)(a), citing the Justice Senyo Dzamefe Commission formed after Ghana’s 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil.
The MP stressed that the petition was “a request for an independent process through which the relevant allegations can be tested”, not a finding of wrongdoing.
Key figures in the World Cup visa scandal
According to the documents cited in the petitions and statements by officials:
- US$3,000 – reported charge per person for US visa facilitation
- US$2,000 – reported charge per person for Canadian visa facilitation
- US$623,000 – amount cited by Sports Minister Kofi Adams (earlier reported as US$611,000)
- 90 – people described as NSA volunteers or event coordinators in a May 28 ministry letter
- 102 – names resubmitted to the Canadian embassy on June 8; Assafuah says only 15 could be verified as NSA personnel
- 400 US and 800 Canadian – slot allocations linked to the GTA in the documents
What Kofi Adams and TRIBE Culture Fest have said
Mr Adams has rejected calls for his removal, telling Citi News, “Well, I don’t see the justification.” He said the ministry “didn’t know” about the arrangements between the US Embassy, TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA and the GTA.
The minister has accused TRIBE Culture Fest of defrauding applicants and said “no government money has been lost”, since the money was paid by private individuals.
TRIBE Culture Fest CEO Nana Boateng Gyimah has denied receiving the money, saying the company’s agreements were only with the NSA and the GTA.
President Mahama has suspended NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah pending investigations. Earlier, the Minority in Parliament demanded the dismissal of Mr Adams and the GTA CEO, as we reported in Minority demands sacking of Kofi Adams, GTA CEO.
What the visa scandal means for affected applicants
The NPP urged the state to protect people who paid the GTA or the NSA for visa and travel help, invite them to come forward without fear, and recover and refund their money.
Mr Adams has said some refunds were made but others are still outstanding. Mr Assafuah also said he had received allegations that visa fees were not paid to the embassy and collected sums were not refunded.
What happens next in the World Cup visa probe
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is investigating the visa facilitation scheme, and the ministry says it is cooperating.
It is not yet clear whether Parliament will summon the minister or whether the President, OSP or CHRAJ will act on the petitions. None of the allegations has been established.
Key details at a glance
- NPP wants Parliament to summon Sports Minister Kofi Adams and GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto.
- More than US$600,000 allegedly collected from World Cup visa and travel applicants.
- Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah has petitioned Mahama, the OSP and CHRAJ.
- NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has been suspended pending investigations.
- TRIBE Culture Fest denies receiving the money.
- Kofi Adams says there is no justification to sack him.
- The CID is investigating the matter.
FAQs
What is the World Cup visa scandal in Ghana?
It involves allegations that people paid for help securing US and Canadian visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup through arrangements linked to the NSA, GTA and TRIBE Culture Fest, with more than US$600,000 allegedly collected.
Has Kofi Adams been sacked over the visa scandal?
No. Sports Minister Kofi Adams remains in office and says there is no justification for his removal, though the Minority and the NPP want him held to account.
Who is investigating the World Cup visa scandal?
The CID is investigating, and petitions have been sent to the President, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and CHRAJ for further probes.
The NPP’s call for Parliament to summon Kofi Adams and the GTA CEO, alongside Vincent Ekow Assafuah’s petitions to the President, OSP and CHRAJ, adds fresh pressure on government over the World Cup visa scandal, as the CID investigation continues and affected applicants await refunds.
