Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has accused TRIBE Culture Fest CEO Nana Boateng Gyimah of spreading false information about the $611,000 World Cup visa controversy, insisting that efforts to trace the money have so far been unsuccessful.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Adams said the ministry’s engagements with the United States Embassy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup established the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as the only non-governmental agency involved in the discussions.
He said the embassy had cautioned that other groups seeking to facilitate supporters’ participation in the tournament would have to follow a specific process.
“The only non-governmental agency was the FA,” he said, explaining that the discussions were intended to establish the appropriate channels for World Cup-related engagements.
Mr Adams said the ministry’s earlier activities had not required the GFA’s involvement, creating a gap in communication. He also referred to a briefing scheduled for April 9 on visa procurement updates, which he said did not take place as expected.
Asked whether the GFA knew that TRIBE Culture Fest had been introduced to the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and was working on activation activities, the minister answered in the negative.
He added that he had not contacted the GFA to establish the amount of money involved or the details of the arrangements, insisting that they had no knowledge of money changing hands.
Mr Adams further alleged that Mr Gyimah had been feeding government critics, including Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah, with false information to create the impression that the ministry was involved in visa fraud.
He said the allegations were an attempt to divert attention from the controversy and avoid accountability over the money.
The minister expressed frustration over the failure to trace and recover the $611,000, adding that the ministry was preparing to refer the matter to the police for possible criminal prosecution if fraud or deception was established.
However, Mr Gyimah has denied receiving $611,000 from any private individual and challenged the minister to produce transaction records, receipts or other evidence supporting the figure.
