The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has declared his readiness to face a parliamentary probe into allegations of visa fraud surrounding travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that he has nothing to hide.
Adams said he would not evade any investigation into the controversy, maintaining that he was prepared to account for his role in the matter if Parliament decided to investigate.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Thursday, October 15, 2026, he said, “I am a Member of Parliament, and I would not run away from a parliamentary probe if they so desire.”
The minister also rejected claims that his ministry submitted a list identifying individuals as officials of the National Sports Authority (NSA) to facilitate their 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 opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to provide evidence to substantiate its allegations, arguing that the list submitted through the established process identified the individuals only 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.
Adams further denied that his ministry had submitted any list to Canadian authorities on behalf of the NSA or provided embassies with descriptions of official positions, as alleged by the NPP.
He accused the opposition party of spreading false claims for political gain and reiterated his challenge for it to produce evidence in support of its accusations.
The controversy follows 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.
NPP demands probe
The NPP has called for the resignation or removal of Kofi Iddie Adams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) over allegations of misrepresentation and financial irregularities involving a World Cup visa arrangement linked to the NSA and private entity TRIBE Culture Fest.
In a statement issued by its National Communications Directorate and signed by National Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the party accused the Mahama-led government of treating the controversy as an administrative matter rather than a national governance scandal requiring independent investigations.
The NPP alleged that the names, letterheads and credibility of public institutions had been used to present individuals who were allegedly not public officers as staff of state agencies to the embassies of the United States and Canada.
According to the party, the allegations raise concerns about Ghana’s international reputation, the integrity of public institutions and the possible exploitation of citizens seeking visas to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The statement followed the presentation of a 49-page account of the allegations by the Minority in Parliament through the Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, on October 7, 2026.
The NPP said that, as of October 15, 2026, Assafuah had petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Presidency, seeking accountability and the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry.
