Sports Minister lied about knowledge of TRIBE Culture Fest - Assafuah

Parliament's Sports and Recreation Committee ranking member Vincent Ekow Assafuah has accused the Minister of Sports and Recreation of lying regarding his awareness of TRIBE Culture Fest's involvement in the alleged World Cup visa scandal. Assafuah pointed to a US Embassy email as evidence that the Ministry knew about TRIBE Culture Fest's role well before March or April as claimed.

The email, signed by Mimi Kuukua Coofie of the US Embassy, stated that the Ministry was pleased to invite TRIBE Culture Fest to the third FIFA World Cup stakeholder meeting, following discussions at the October 22nd, 2025 stakeholder meeting. Assafuah clarified that this email marked the second meeting for TRIBE Culture Fest's introduction, following earlier stakeholder engagements between the National Sports Authority, Ghana Tourism Authority, and TRIBE Culture Fest.

He dismissed the Minister's claims of unawareness, stating that if the Minister maintains he was unaware of TRIBE Culture Fest's involvement after March or April, he is lying. The allegations stem from charges ranging from $8,000 to $9,000 imposed on Ghanaians seeking to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the US, Mexico, and Canada, despite an official agreement for US visas at $3,000 and Canada at $2,000.

The Ministry maintains there is no evidence of the Sports Minister collecting these sums, and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority has denied any personal involvement in the visa sale arrangement.