The issue came to light on Saturday, July 21, 2024, amid a visa scandal involving Ghana’s NPC and Sports Ministry.
It was discovered that 11 individuals, who were purportedly part of the Paralympic team but were later identified as impostors, had fled upon arriving in Oslo for the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon. These individuals, who did not participate in the event, dispersed to other Schengen countries.
Ghanaian media reports state that one person has been arrested, but Coach Gyasi collapsed and died shortly after arriving in Norway.
Mr. Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee, stated that the four relatives sent to retrieve the coach’s body have also disappeared. “Initially, six or seven people applied for visas, which were initially denied.
They later forged the necessary documents to obtain visas, but upon arrival, they fled, and one died,” he told Asaase Radio, as reported by Pulse Ghana.
“They later requested to send the families of the deceased. The four who went to retrieve the body also disappeared. These individuals have been identified,” Mr. Deen added.
He also revealed that the ‘fake team’ had falsified documents to obtain their visas.
There has been public outcry in Ghana, with citizens demanding an investigation into the misuse of NPC and sports ministry resources. “My signature was forged to apply for visas for people with no connection to the Ghana Paralympic Team,” Mr. Deen said.
As a result, the two remaining individuals involved have been suspended from any involvement with Paralympic sports in Ghana.
