Kofi Adams, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, has insisted that there is justification for calls for his removal over alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for Ghanaian supporters and officials over the 2026 World Cup visa scandal.
According to Kofi Adams, there’s no justification to dismiss him over the World Cup visa scandal, insisting that no government money has been lost.
In a GHOne NEWS card, Kofi Adams stated, “There’s no justification to dismiss me over the World Cup visa scandal, because no government money has been lost”.
Also, Kofi Adams has insisted that the Sports Ministry was unaware of the process until a letter concerning event coordinators and volunteers was brought to his attention.
The Sports Minister disclosed that the National Sports Authority, the GTA, the United States Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest had handled the arrangements without the Ministry’s knowledge.
He stated, “Well, I don’t see the justification. Both the American Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA and the GTA were doing their thing behind the Ministry. The Ministry didn’t know”.
“The first time I ever sat and had a conversation in relation to that matter was when the May 19 letter requested the forwarding of event coordinators and volunteers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy. That’s when I got to know the details of what was happening,” he said.
Kofi Adams revealed that the letter was forwarded to the Ministry’s Chief Director, who serves on the technical committee overseeing the arrangements.
According to Kofi Adams, the committee had agreed that the names of individuals expected to perform specific duties related to the World Cup be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy, maintaining that his role was limited to forwarding the letter through the appropriate administrative channels and that he had no knowledge of the alleged financial transactions.
“Government money has not been lost,” he said.
In related news, More details have emerged in the alleged visa scandal linked to Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with investigations revealing how prospective travellers were reportedly recruited through contractors and intermediaries and charged thousands of dollars for assistance with visa applications.
According to JoyNews journalist Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, speaking on Monday, October 12, 2026, disclosed that a list of 90 people presented as event coordinators and volunteers for the tournament was forwarded to the Ministry of Sports and Recreation by the then Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
He disclosed that the letter, dated May 19, was intended to facilitate the applicants’ travel to the tournament, with the ministry reportedly receiving it on May 25, following an earlier directive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructing government institutions and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to channel World Cup-related travel requests through the Sports Ministry for due diligence.
Muftawu Nabila Abdulai disclosed that investigations established that only five of the 90 applicants obtained visas, leaving 85 unsuccessful.
The JoySports report noted that the names of the applicants had been included in a petition submitted to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
He further disclosed that the investigation further revealed that prospective travellers were allegedly charged different amounts depending on their intended destinations, adding that applicants seeking visas for both the United States and Canada were reportedly charged US$15,000, while those applying to travel only to the United States were allegedly charged US$10,000.
According to Muftawu, applicants were often introduced to the process through contractors and sub-contractors who collected money on their behalf, rather than approaching the individuals allegedly facilitating the applications directly.
Muftawu Nabila Abdulai cited several transactions uncovered during his investigation, including one intermediary who allegedly submitted a list of 47 applicants. Another reportedly brought 15 people and paid US$59,000 in a single transaction. In separate instances, an intermediary allegedly paid US$25,000 for five applicants, another paid US$20,000 for four people, and a different individual paid US$10,000 for two applicants.
He further cited a case in which a woman allegedly delivered GH¢158,000 on behalf of three other prospective travellers. He said he had spoken to individuals involved in some of the transactions as part of his investigation.
Also, details suggested that the process was facilitated through an office allegedly established at the NSA to assist prospective World Cup attendees with their visa applications.
According to Muftawu, the office had staff and served as a point of contact for applicants who submitted money in the belief that they were participating in an official arrangement.
He alleged that Yaw Gyamfi Kusi Awere operated the office, although the individual reportedly denied knowledge of the alleged activities.
The investigation also brought to light allegations concerning how money collected from applicants was distributed among individuals associated with the process.
He also cited a petition by former NSA chief executive Yaw Gyamfi Kusi Awere, who reportedly alleged that about 80 per cent of the people who approached him had been referred by the NSA.
He further detailed that the payment arrangement involved US$4,000 as the actual cost of the process, with US$1,500 allegedly allocated to the suspended NSA Director-General, another US$1,500 to the former NSA chief executive, and US$1,000 to the chief executive of TRIBE Culture Fest, Nana Boateng Gyimah. A further US$5,000 was reportedly retained under the alleged arrangement.
The claims raise questions about the roles of intermediaries, the collection and distribution of payments, and the circumstances under which applicants were led to believe they could secure visas to attend the tournament.
See the post below:
There’s no justification to dismiss me over the World Cup visa scandal, because no government money has been lost… – Kofi Adams (Sports Minister) #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #GHOneNews #NewsAlert https://t.co/9SgA7NS4mf
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) October 14, 2026
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn and MCE Hon. Adamu Kalamu present start-up kits to beneficiaries of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in Ablekuma North Municipality. #GHNow #fyp ♬ Have Mercy 2 – Kofi Kinaata
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn and MCE Hon. Adamu Kalamu have presented first aid kits to First Aid Responder trainees under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in Ablekuma North. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
