Baku:More details have emerged regarding an alleged visa racketeering scandal connected to Ghana's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leading to the suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, the director of the National Sports Authority (NSA).
According to Ghana Web, the former NSA Chief Operations Officer, Yaw Gyamfi Kusi Awere, allegedly implicated his partners in the scandal, including Ampofo Ankrah and TRIBE Culture Fest CEO Nana Boateng Gyimah, by petitioning the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Gyamfi reportedly did this due to pressure from victims demanding refunds.
Joy FM Sports Editor Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo explained that Gyamfi's decision to involve the police was influenced by his inability to secure refunds from other parties who allegedly received portions of the money from individuals seeking U.S. and Canadian visas for the World Cup. Fentuo shared these claims during a panel discussion on October 12, 2026, on JoyNews PM Express.
Gyamfi reportedly returned his share of the proceeds to the victims but faced continued pressure as he had directly collected the money. He claimed not to have retained all the funds and requested that the other alleged beneficiaries, including the Tribe Fest CEO and Ampofo Ankrah, return their portions to settle outstanding refunds. The refusal of these parties reportedly intensified pressure on Gyamfi, who feared being held responsible by the victims.
Fentuo further noted that Gyamfi believed Tribe Fest received a significant portion of the money and thus should be responsible for refunding its share.
Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, a JoyNews reporter, mentioned that 85 of the 90 victims paid between $10,000 and $15,000 for World Cup visas but did not receive them. New details suggested that $1,500 was allegedly allocated to both the suspended NSA Director-General and the former NSA CEO, with other amounts distributed among several individuals involved in the process.