Samson Deen, The Chairman of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), has strongly refuted allegations that members of the Paralympic team absconded in Norway earlier this year.

Reports emerged that an 11-member group, purportedly part of the Paralympic team, went missing in Norway in April during an event, with one member apprehended and another reported deceased.

However, Deen has clarified that these claims are false and that no such team members were officially authorized to travel.

In a video statement shared with the media, Deen emphasized that neither he nor the Ghana Paralympic team had applied for visas to Norway.

He stated, “No Ghana Paralympic team member, official, coach, or associate applied for a visa through the Norwegian embassy.

I want to make it clear that the Ghana Paralympic team has not applied for a visa. I have never signed any letter for or on behalf of the Ghana Paralympic team, and our offices have not applied for a visa at the Norwegian embassy.”

Deen attributed the confusion to a forged letter created by individuals involved with the Ernestay Foundation, which is associated with disability sports development.

He identified Ernest Ayisi, a person with a disability, and Theodore Mawuli Viwotor, a former Ghana Amputee Football Association secretary general, as the culprits behind the forgery. Viwotor has been suspended indefinitely by NPC Ghana as of July 18.

“The letters with my signatures were forged by Ernest Ayisi and Theodore Mawuli Viwotor. They fraudulently used my documents to obtain visas for individuals who are not part of the Paralympic family,” Deen concluded.