Paralympics Norway Visa Scandal: What Paralympics president, Sports Ministry have said

Samson Deen, giving his account of the incident, denied his involvement, stating that the letterhead sent to the Norwegian embassy for visas had forged signatures of his, while mentioning the principal actors of the scandal.

“Upon our checks after receiving this letter from the Ministry of Sports, we realized that the letter was forged. Upon reaching out to them [Theodore Mawuli Viwotor, former Secretary-General of the Ghana Paralympic Football Association, and Ernest Ayisi, founder of Ernestay Foundation], I asked how they got my signature. They indicated that one Adongo, based in Europe, is the one who forged my letter and all the signatures,” he told Joy Sports.

He further clarified that the supposed Paralympic team who disappeared in Norway has no affiliation with the NPC.

“They forged my signature on the letter and applied for visas for some people who have no affiliation with the Ghana Paralympic Team,” he said.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports, on the other hand, explained their visa application procedure for athletes.

“In relation to visa assistance and travel arrangements for athletes, the Ministry of Youth and Sports works upon technical recommendations of the National Sports Authority (NSA). Federations submit requests for visa assistance for athletes who are to participate in any international competition,” the Ministry stated in a media release on Sunday, July 21, 2024.

“The Ministry of Youth and Sports then transmits a communication of the requests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to facilitate the acquisition of the relevant visas with the appropriate embassies and consulate offices,” the release continued.

The Ministry, in that regard, vehemently denied their involvement in securing visas for the alleged fake Paralympic team.

“In the Norwegian incident, the Ministry of Youth and Sports did not receive any communication from the National Sports Authority, nor the National Paralympic Committee on the said competition and therefore was unaware of the participation of the Paralympic team in the marathon,” a portion of the release added.

The Paralympics team became topical after National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, in a signed letter dated July 3, 2024, gave an account of how an 11-member Paralympic team disappeared in Norway following an accusation of impersonation.

The letter noted that the team was expected to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon on April 27, 2024.

However, upon arrival in Norway on April 25, 2024, they failed to register for the competition and thus were not in attendance for the event two days after their arrival. One of the team members was said to be arrested by Norwegian security officials while on his way to Sweden from Norway.

The letter also indicated that the team coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, reportedly collapsed and passed on at the Oslo University Hospital (ULEVAL) on April 28, 2024. No further details surrounding his death were given.

The remaining nine members of the team are on the run as the Norwegian Embassy in Accra has alerted Western Diplomatic Missions in Accra and the European Border Coast Guard agency to repatriate and arrest them when caught.