President John Mahama has suspended National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah pending a police investigation into allegations that about US$623,000 was collected from people seeking visas to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The suspension, announced on October 1, will remain in force until the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service completes its inquiry, according to reports of the letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama. Associate Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong of the University of Education, Winneba, has been appointed acting Director-General, 3News and MyJoyOnline reported.
The investigation follows a petition submitted to the CID on September 8. It alleges that people connected to the NSA took money from prospective travellers on the understanding that their visas and travel would be arranged. The Minority in Parliament has alleged that some applicants paid as much as US$8,000.
Ampofo Ankrah appeared before investigators and denied wrongdoing, 3News reported. His lawyer, Jerry Avenorgbor, told Citi's Eyewitness News that his client did not collect money or facilitate visas and that the investigation would clear him. The NSA has said it never authorised any office or person to collect money for visas.
On Wednesday, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Minority's ranking member on the Youth and Sports Committee, said the US Embassy's Fraud Prevention Unit flagged four applicants on the NSA's list in March. He said the job titles given for them do not exist in the authority's structure, and that the NSA confirmed their appointments in a letter the same day. The claim has not been independently verified.
MyJoyOnline has reported that the Bureau of National Investigations is also looking into the matter. Ampofo Ankrah's lawyer said the case is being handled by the police Economic Crime Unit. No charges have been reported.