Yaw Ampofo Ankrah Suspended as NSA Director-General Over World Cup Visa Controversy
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has been suspended from his position as Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) following controversy surrounding an alleged visa facilitation arrangement connected to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
JoySports reports that it has sighted a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Calitus Mahama, informing Mr Ankrah of the decision.
The suspension comes weeks after allegations emerged that about US$623,000 had been received from prospective travellers who were seeking assistance with visa and travel arrangements to attend the World Cup.
The allegations prompted a police investigation, resulting in Mr Ankrah and other individuals linked to the matter appearing before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
Mr Ankrah appeared before investigators last week, where he denied the allegations against him.
The NSA Director-General had earlier denied having knowledge of any arrangement involving the collection of money from prospective World Cup travellers.
The National Sports Authority has also stated that it did not authorise any visa facilitation service or establish an office to collect money from members of the public who intended to travel to the tournament.
In a statement issued in September, the Authority explained that its relationship with TRIBE FEST, a FIFA-licensed partner involved in fan-experience activities, World Cup viewing events and mobilisation, did not include authorisation to collect money for visa procurement.
The controversy followed a petition reportedly submitted to the CID on September 8, alleging that individuals connected to the NSA collected money from prospective travellers on the understanding that their visa and travel arrangements for the World Cup would be facilitated.
The Minority in Parliament subsequently called for Mr Ankrah to either be dismissed or suspended while investigations into the allegations continued.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said information available to the Minority suggested that some prospective travellers were charged as much as $8,000 for assistance with arrangements to travel to the World Cup.
According to the Minority, the alleged arrangement generated more than US$600,000, leading to demands for answers about who authorised the collection, who received the money and what services were provided in return.
The NSA, however, rejected claims that the alleged operation was an official arrangement of the Authority.
It maintained that no employee had been authorised to collect money or facilitate visas on behalf of the NSA.
The Authority also said its legal team was cooperating with the police investigation and that Mr Ankrah and other relevant officials would make themselves available to investigators whenever required.
Mr Ankrah’s suspension therefore comes at a time when the police investigation into the allegations remains ongoing.
The decision to suspend him does not, by itself, establish criminal liability or prove the allegations against him.
Mr Ankrah had served as Director-General of the NSA during a period of increased scrutiny over the administration of Ghana’s sports facilities and the management of the country’s sporting affairs.
On September 2, President John Dramani Mahama dissolved the governing board of the National Sports Authority as part of a wider decision involving several state institutions. The board was subsequently expected to be reconstituted.
The latest decision now ends Mr Ankrah’s tenure as Director-General of the NSA.
His suspension also comes at a crucial time for Ghanaian sports, as the country continues preparations for various international competitions while attention remains focused on the management, financing and accountability of state sports institutions.
The police investigation is expected to establish whether money was collected from prospective travellers, who received the funds, what representations were made to those who paid, and whether any public officials or institutions were involved in the alleged arrangement.
Associate Professor Emmanuel Sarpong of the University of Education, Winneba, has been appointed as Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority.
