Investigative Desk Report
Fresh controversy has erupted around businessman Seidu Agongo, owner of the Class Group of Companies—operators of Class FM and other media outlets—after a petition accused his firm of running an illegal online lottery scheme in Ghana.
The petition, submitted by fintech professional Jamal Iddrisu to the Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), calls for a full-scale investigation into the operations of Onasis Sports Limited, a company allegedly fronting the *859# 5/90 USSD lottery service.
According to the petitioner, preliminary checks at the National Lottery Authority (NLA) revealed that Onasis Sports Limited has no license to operate any such online lottery. Yet, the company reportedly secured clearance from the National Communications Authority (NCA) and mobile network operators to roll out the controversial *859# platform.
Questionable Licensing
Even more troubling, Mr. Iddrisu alleges, is how the NLA issued a Caritas Lottery License to Onasis Sports Limited despite the company not being a registered Lotto Marketing Company, as required under Act 722 and L.I. 1948.
The petition raises a further red flag: official records show that Onasis Sports Limited was incorporated in April 2025 with registration number CSO90760425, yet the company is said to have been granted an NLA license as far back as 2024—a full year before its legal existence.
“This is not just a case of regulatory loopholes. It suggests possible fraud, abuse of office, and collusion within state institutions,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.
Agongo’s Shadow
Seidu Agongo, who has faced public scrutiny in the past—including the high-profile COCOBOD fertilizer trial—now finds his name entangled in another potentially explosive scandal. Critics argue that his control of significant media assets such as Class FM and Radio XYZ shields him from deeper public scrutiny.
“This goes beyond one man or one company,” a governance analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity told this paper. “If these claims are true, it exposes deep-seated corruption within the NLA and raises questions about how easily powerful businessmen manipulate state regulators.”
Silence from Regulators
As of press time, neither the NLA, the NCA, nor Onasis Sports Limited had issued an official response to the allegations. The MFWA is expected to review the petition and may launch an independent probe in the coming weeks.
Observers say the outcome of this case could reshape public trust in Ghana’s lottery industry, already dogged by allegations of political interference and backroom deals.
For now, the *859# saga adds yet another chapter to the growing list of legal and ethical controversies surrounding Seidu Agongo’s business empire.
