Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams says only five of the 31 winners of a second raffle organised to facilitate travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup secured US visas.
He says the government is working on a compensation package for the remaining winners who could not travel.
Speaking on the World Cup visa and fundraising controversy, Mr. Adams explained that an initial group of seven to ten raffle winners had their travel documents processed after a meeting with the organisers.
He said the group had already received refunds but was later asked to resubmit the money to Rambell to continue with the original travel arrangements. However, almost all of them declined, choosing to keep their refunds.
Kofi Adams also explained that a second raffle, organised by Mpuntu, produced 31 winners. Although all 31 had their travel documents processed, only five secured visas.
He insisted that the money raised through the second raffle remained untouched and was still being held by the fundraising committee to compensate those who could not travel.
“Every pesewa of the raffle that was run by Mpuntu has not been touched. That money has not been touched. The fundraising committee is still holding on to those funds to make sure that everybody is appropriately compensated,” he said.
The minister also dismissed claims by the NPP Minority in Parliament about the use of foreign telephone numbers in the fundraising exercise, describing them as false.
“If the NPP Minority in Parliament is running a story and talking about foreign numbers and what have you, that’s a complete lie,” he added.
The controversy has drawn public scrutiny over the fundraising arrangements, visa facilitation process and the involvement of private entities in Ghana’s travel plans for the tournament.
