The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif maintains that, the alleged Paralympic team who have absconded in Norway were not representatives of Ghana.
The Sports Ministry has therefore distanced itself from the recent visa scandal and the individuals involved.
According to him, until investigations are completed and it is confirmed that the individuals are indeed para-athletes, he cannot take responsibility for them.
This comes after reports that nine out of an 11-member team of Ghanaian para-athletes went missing upon their arrival in Oslo for the Bergen Marathon.
According to a statement from the Ministry of National Security, one para-athlete, Nana Antwi, has been detained by Norwegian authorities, while the coach of the ‘team’, George Gyamfi Gyasi, met his untimely death shortly after being admitted to the Oslo University Hospital after collapsing on April 28, 2024.
But at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Ussif indicated the Ministry and all relevant stakeholders were not aware of the team’s participation in the tournament.
He explained that, whenever there is an international tournament, there are due processes that are followed to facilitate the issuance and acquisition of visas.
However, that was not the case for these 11 individuals, who claimed to be Paralympics.
“The Ministry was not aware and the team did not represent Ghana. The federation normally makes visa requests through the National Sports Authority and the Sports Ministry writes letters to the Foreign Affairs Ministry for the needed assistance.
“But in this case, there was no request or due process and were concerned because the group claims to be athletes,” he stated.
The Minister said he is actively working with relevant authorities to investigate the issue.
Mr Ussif further cautioned unscrupulous people who are taking advantage of athletes under the pretext of assisting them.
Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee has suspended three individuals who are being accused of masterminding the incident.
The Minority members of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee are demanding an immediate inquiry into the visa scandal.
