The Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Pius Enam Hadzide and Acting Director General for the National Sports Authority Robert Sarfo Mensah have been suspended by the President Nana Akufo-Addo for their roles in the Australia visa racketeering scandal.
Reports went rife some few weeks ago that more than 65 Ghanaians had been stranded, detained or deported from Australia by immigration authorities of Australia and transit countries like Singapore on suspicions of visa fraud.
The beleaguered Ghanaians, who claimed to be journalists, were billed to provide coverage for Team Ghana at the Games being held at Gold Coast in Australia, as they were issued visas as journalists from various media houses in Ghana.
However, the Australian authorities were not convinced by their reasons for travelling to the country because although they claimed to be journalists and had genuine visas, many of them did not carry the recommended equipment for the coverage of such a sporting event.
A press release from the Communications Directorate from the Presidency, indicate that the decision was taken following preliminary investigations conducted into the circumstances that led to the arrest of some sixty Ghanaians who had allegedly to enter Australia by false pretences, in the on-going 21st Commonwealth Games.
The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah; the Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyeman, and the Chef-de-Mission for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Mr Mohammed Sahnoon, have also been recalled from the Games to assist in investigations currently being undertaken by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police Service.
Report in the media suggest that there will be an emergency meeting at the Jubilee House on Friday and another set of people could face the wrath of the president when found guilty of any malpractices.
The report further stated that many of the deported Ghanaians paid close to $3,000 each excluding their plane tickets and other reservations which cost around $1,500.
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