Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate alleged irregularities surrounding visa facilitation arrangements and opportunities linked to Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The petitions, submitted on Wednesday, October 15, concern arrangements involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ministries of Sports and Tourism, Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and private event organiser TRIBE Culture Fest. Mr Assafuah said documents cited in the petitions raised concerns over beneficiary verification, official certifications, allocation of visa facilitation slots and management of funds. He cited, among other issues, discrepancies between lists of persons presented as NSA personnel and those subsequently verified as staff.
Mr Assafuah also raised concerns over reported allocations of 400 US visa facilitation slots and 800 Canadian slots by the GTA, as well as allegations involving GHATOF, media lists, research expenditure and the purchase of 300 World Cup tickets. He called on CHRAJ and the OSP to investigate suspected corruption, abuse of power and administrative irregularities, while urging President Mahama to establish a commission of inquiry under Article 278(1)(a) of the Constitution. The MP stressed that the petition was not seeking a predetermined finding against any individual or institution, but an independent process through which the allegations could be tested.
