Suspended National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah will not appear before Parliament over the alleged 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal while police investigations remain ongoing, his lawyers have said.
The legal team, led by Jerry Avenorgbor, said on Thursday that their client would defer his appearance until the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service concludes its investigations and his suspension from office is lifted.
In a statement addressing the controversy, the lawyers argued that appearing before Parliament while the matter remained under active investigation could complicate the process of establishing the facts.
“In the circumstances, and while the investigation remains ongoing, it would be imprudent for Mr. Ampofo Ankrah to appear before Parliament in relation to matters that are presently the subject of the CID investigation,” the statement said.
The legal team, however, stressed that the decision should not be construed as an attempt by the suspended NSA chief to evade parliamentary accountability or disregard lawful directives.
According to the lawyers, Ampofo Ankrah remains prepared to respond to lawful requests from Parliament or other competent institutions, subject to the completion of the investigative process and the lifting of his suspension, at the discretion of the presidency.
Lawyers caution against prejudging allegations
The legal team has also appealed to the media and the public to exercise restraint in discussing the allegations, warning against treating speculation or unverified information as established fact.
It maintained that the ongoing investigation should be allowed to proceed without undue public pressure or premature conclusions about the involvement of the suspended official or any other person.
“The fact that an investigation is underway does not, in itself, constitute a finding or determination of wrongdoing against Mr. Ampofo Ankrah or any other person,” the lawyers stated.
They further disclosed that their client had cooperated with investigators and would continue to assist the authorities as required.
The lawyers said they would refrain from making substantive public comments on the case until the relevant authorities had completed their work and formally communicated their findings.
Presidential suspension follows visa concerns
President John Dramani Mahama directed Ampofo Ankrah to step aside from his position last week following concerns raised by the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit over alleged irregularities in visa applications facilitated by the NSA in connection with Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The allegations have triggered scrutiny of the arrangements for facilitating visa applications for prospective travellers associated with Ghana’s World Cup preparations.
The NSA, which oversees the administration and development of sports programmes and infrastructure in Ghana, has come under increased attention following the controversy.
Ampofo Ankrah’s legal team says it will address any issues requiring clarification at the appropriate stage of the process.
For now, the lawyers maintain that the CID investigation should be allowed to run its course before their client makes a substantive appearance before Parliament on matters directly related to the probe.
The allegations remain under investigation, and no conclusion of wrongdoing against Ampofo Ankrah has been established in the information provided.
