A Paralympic team representing Ghana in the Fjordkraft Bergen city marathon in April allegedly absconded upon their arrival in Norway.
The team, consisting of 11 members, had obtained visas from the Norwegian embassy in Accra with plans to participate in the tournament scheduled in Oslo on April 27, 2024.
However, a letter from Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana’s national security minister, disclosed that nine of the team members are currently on the run, facing accusations of impersonation.
The letter, addressed to the youth and sports minister and the foreign minister, detailed that upon their arrival in Oslo on April 25, the team failed to complete their registration for the tournament.
It mentioned that one team member, identified as Nana Antwi, was apprehended on April 26 while attempting to travel from Norway to Sweden using a one-way train ticket.
Tragically, the letter revealed that George Gyamfi Gyasi, the team’s coach, collapsed on April 28 and subsequently passed away on May 17 at Oslo University Hospital. The specific cause of his death was not disclosed.
It further stated that security alerts have been issued in effort to locate and apprehend the nine members who are currently evading authorities.
Kan-Dapaah also cautioned that the incident could impact the chances of the country’s athletes seeking visas for future competitions.
Addressing the matter, Samson Deen, who is in charge of Ghana’s Paralympic Committee, alleged that his signature was forged to procure the visas. He also denied knowledge of the 11-member team.
“The Ghana Paralympic team has not sent anybody, written a letter, and has never applied for a visa at the Norwegian embassy,” he said in an interview.
“The Ghana Paralympics committee has not sent anybody to the Norwegian embassy or even to get a visa to travel to Norway. The Ghana paralympics committee has no intention and has never had the intention of trying to participate in an Olympic qualifier in Oslo.
“Upon receiving these documents from the ministry of sports, we checked and realized that the letter was written and my signature was forged and used to apply for the visa for individuals who are not athletes.
“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, and they indicated that one Adongo, based in Europe, is the one who forged my letter and all the signatures.”
Ghana will send only one representative to the 2024 Paralympics — held from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: 18 killed, three abducted as suspected bandits launch fresh attack in Northcentral Nigeria