Nine members of a fraudulent Ghanaian Paralympic team are currently at large in Norway following a visa scandal that has resulted in one death and one arrest. The incident, revealed in a letter from National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, has sparked an international alert and raised concerns about future visa applications for Ghanaian athletes.
The 11-member team, which obtained visas from the Norwegian Embassy in Accra under false pretenses, arrived in Oslo on April 25, 2024, allegedly to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon on April 27. However, the group failed to register for the competition, raising suspicions about their true intentions.
On April 26, team member Nana Antwi was arrested while attempting to leave Norway for Sweden on a one-way train ticket. Tragically, the team’s purported coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, died on April 28 after being admitted to Oslo University Hospital following a collapse.
In response to the incident, the Norwegian Embassy in Accra has alerted all Western Diplomatic Missions in Ghana and the European Border Coast Guard agency to apprehend and repatriate the remaining team members.
Samson Deen, head of Ghana’s Paralympic Committee, has denied any involvement in the scandal, stating that his signature was forged on visa application documents. I have to put it on record that the Ghana Paralympic Committee has not sent anybody or sent a letter to apply for a visa,” Deen told Joy Sports Link.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ghana has indefinitely suspended Theodore Mawuli Viwotor, Yaw Ayisi, and the Ernestay Foundation for their alleged roles in falsifying documents and forging signatures.
This scandal could have far-reaching consequences for legitimate Ghanaian athletes, potentially affecting their ability to obtain visas for future international competitions. The Ghana Police Service is now investigating the matter, as authorities work to locate the nine individuals still at large.
The incident highlights the need for increased scrutiny in the visa application process for international sporting events and raises questions about the vulnerabilities in the system that allowed such a large-scale fraud to occur.
Credit: myjoyonline.com
