OSP launches probe into alleged corruption over NSA’s World Cup visa and contract dealings

Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has begun a formal investigation into suspected corruption at the National Sports Authority (NSA).

It also covers alleged financial irregularities tied to the country’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The OSP statement and reports on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, confirmed the development.

The OSP said it acted after receiving petitions that accuse some NSA officials of corruption and related offences. The petitions focus on how the Authority awarded contracts to service providers.

The inquiry goes beyond contracts. Investigators will also look at alleged abuse of public office, the way sponsorship beneficiaries were chosen, visa facilitation arrangements, and how money was collected from, and handled for, people hoping to travel.

Central to the probe are questions of accountability. The OSP wants to establish how beneficiaries were picked, who approved the allocation of travel opportunities, and whether any public officials or private individuals gained improperly from the arrangements.

Background to the controversy

The investigation adds to a growing row over the NSA’s role in World Cup travel. The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) is already investigating the suspended Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, over an alleged visa facilitation scheme in which more than US$600,000 was reportedly collected from prospective travellers. Other reports put the figure at $623,000, and say President John Mahama suspended Mr Ankrah over his alleged involvement. Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong was appointed acting Director-General. The Authority’s governing board had already been dissolved by the President on September 2, 2026, according to reports.

Reports on Mr Ankrah’s status have differed. The opposition NPP has asked the Presidency to say whether he has been dismissed or suspended.

Denials and calls for wider scrutiny

The NSA has denied authorising any visa facilitation service or money-collection arrangement linked to the World Cup. A lawyer for Mr Ankrah has also insisted that he neither took nor received any money to facilitate visas. The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has distanced itself from the alleged irregularities and called for an investigation.

The Minority in Parliament has pushed for a wider probe. It says the alleged arrangements involve the NSA, the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Sports Ministry and TRIBE Culture Fest, and that the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit flagged four applicants and asked for proof of their employment with the NSA. The NPP has also demanded publication of all related documents, including the memorandum of understanding between the NSA and Tribe Culture FEST.

No findings have been made public, and the allegations remain unproven. The OSP is expected to establish the facts as its work proceeds.