Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide has defended the New Patriotic Party’s criticism of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and suspended National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah over the 2026 World Cup visa controversy.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, October 12, Mr Hadzide said signed correspondence and reported admissions of payments provided grounds for questioning the officials’ roles in the controversy.
“You are having people confessing that they paid money,” he said, arguing that the allegations should be examined based on the available evidence.
Mr Hadzide disclosed that letters had been transmitted through the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the relevant embassy. He said journalists had obtained copies of the correspondence, which he believes warrant further scrutiny.
He stressed, however, that responsibility must be clearly established to determine the role played by each official.
The controversy became public after reports emerged that more than $623,000 had allegedly been collected from prospective travellers seeking visa assistance for the tournament. Some applicants reportedly received neither visas nor interview appointments.
NSA Chief Operations Officer Nana Gyamfi Awere has admitted receiving money from applicants and filed a petition alleging that payments were made to other individuals. Mr Ampofo Ankrah was suspended on October 1 pending investigations, although his lawyer has denied that he received money to facilitate visas.
The Sports Ministry has also denied wrongdoing, maintaining that it forwarded a request from the NSA through established channels and that there is no public evidence that Mr Adams collected money or received commissions.
Mr Hadzide also drew comparisons with the 2018 Australian visa controversy, which led to his suspension before his eventual exoneration and reinstatement.
He called for renewed scrutiny of that episode, arguing that the circumstances surrounding it should be clarified.
He insisted that accountability must be based on evidence and that the responsibilities of all persons involved in the current controversy should be established.
