Barely two weeks after the deportation of some 60 Ghanaians from the commonwealth games for posing as journalists, the country is dealing with another issue of deportation involving the Para Athletic team.
Citi Sports investigations have revealed that two persons, Richard Frimpong and Emmanuel Osei, were deported from Seoul Airport on the 26th of April for posing as officials of the Ghana Para-Athletics Association at the 25th Seoul International Wheelchair marathon.
In a letter sighted by Citi Sports, the General Secretary of the Seoul International Wheelchair Marath0n Committee, Lee Jongsung, wrote a letter on 9th April, 2017, inviting three athletes; Maclean Atsu Dzidzienyo, Yakubu Abukari and Charles Narh Teye, to participate in the event with all expenses paid for by the SIWMC.
But in another letter signed by the same person, two additional names were included and designated as officials; Richard Frimpong and Emmanuel Osei.
On reaching Incheon Airport on 26th April, the two ‘officials’ were detained and questioned, but both failed to produce adequate information to back claims that they were indeed officials of the Ghana Para-Athletics Association.
Citi Sports has learned that one of the athletes was invited by airport officials to help verify the identities of the two individuals, but the para-athlete admitted he had no idea who the two gentlemen were.
They were both subsequently deported.
Citi Sports investigations have also revealed that one Peter Agyei, Secretary General of the Ghana Para-Athletics Association facilitated the travel of the athletes and the said individuals, but efforts to reach him for a response have proved futile.
The National Paralympic Committee has admitted knowledge of the said incident. Secretary General of the NPC, Ignatius Ellertey, confirmed to Citi Sports that a board meeting has been called for Tuesday to address the matter.
“This has come to our notice, and we will have a board meeting to officially state our position,” he told Citi Sports.
“As we speak now, we don’t know who is involved. I’ve not seen those deported and I don’t know them. It’s unfortunate that in the wake of the Australia incident, this thing is also coming up, but as I said, on Tuesday we will have a meeting and we will know more after that.”
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By: Citi Sports/Ghana
