Ghana’s National Paralympic Committee Reports Missing Family Members Sent to Retrieve Coach’s Body

The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in Ghana has revealed that four family members who were sent to retrieve the body of the absconded coach of the Paralympic team in Norway have also gone missing after their arrival.

This development follows a visa scandal that hit the NPC and Ghana’s Sports Ministry on Saturday, July 21, 2024, when it was reported that 11 individuals fled after arriving in Oslo for the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon. These para-athletes, identified as impostors, failed to participate in the competition and disappeared into other Schengen nations.

According to Ghanaian media, one person has been arrested, and the coach of the team, George Gyamfi Gyasi, tragically collapsed and died in Norway.

NPC President Samson Deen disclosed that the four relatives of the deceased coach, who were sent to repatriate his body, have also absconded.

“If you look at the first application, it was six or seven people they applied for initially. They were denied visas, they got the letters they wanted subsequently forged, but upon arrival, they absconded, and one died,” Deen told Asaase Radio, as quoted by Pulse Ghana.

He further explained, “They subsequently wrote to the Norwegian embassy again and requested to send the families of the one who died. The people went, they couldn’t bring the corpse. The four also absconded; these guys are known. They’ve been identified.”

Mr. Deen also disclosed that the ‘fake team’ used forged documents to secure their visas for the competition.

Angry Ghanaian citizens are demanding an investigation into how these individuals exploited the offices of the NPC and the sports ministry to facilitate their travel.

“They forged my signature on the letter and applied for visas for some people who have no affiliation with the Ghana Paralympic Team,” Deen stated.

“As a result, the two remaining individuals have been suspended from anything that has to do with Paralympic Sports in the country.”