Vincent Assafuah petitions CHRAJ to investigate alleged irregularities in 2026 World Cup visa arrangements

Member of Parliament Vincent Ekow Assafuah has asked the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to look into possible corruption and administrative mistakes in the handling of visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a petition he filed on Thursday, October 15.

The Old Tafo MP is directing his concerns towards the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, TRIBE Culture Fest, and the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF). He wants CHRAJ to investigate issues such as discrepancies in beneficiary lists, the verification of people thought to be part of the organizations, the rules used to give out the visa opportunities, and how payments and profits were managed.

According to the petition, the list of 102 people connected to the National Sports Authority seems to only include 15 individuals who can be confirmed as part of the organization based on the records checked. Assafuah is asking for proof to explain this difference.

The MP also wants an examination of the allocation of 400 United States visas and 800 Canadian visas by the Ghana Tourism Authority. This includes how the selection processes were done, the approvals given, and how the money given as part of the sponsorship was used.

The petition also discusses claims that 14 regional directors of the Ghana Tourism Authority asked for explanations about how the allocation and use of funds were handled in July. It also raises questions about whether around GH¢2,250 was paid to each person in arrangements involving GHATOF. These questions include whether the visa fees were paid and if the money given by those applying was returned.

Vincent Assafuah has asked CHRAJ to get the contracts, communications, lists of who benefited from the actions, and financial records. He wants to understand the duties of everyone involved and figure out if any public officials acted incorrectly or broke their job duties. He said these claims are just suspicions, and he wants CHRAJ to make the right suggestions or send the evidence of possible crimes to the right authorities if needed.

The petition follows rules 218(a) and 218(e) of the 1992 Constitution and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice Act, 1993 (Act 456).