By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov. 06, GNA – Mr Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Tafo and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, has called for a full-scale investigation into two raffles organised in connection with Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alleging possible fraud, misrepresentation and misuse of personal data.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra on Thursday, Mr Assafuah urged the Auditor-General, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Data Protection Commission to investigate the operations, proceeds and management of the two World Cup-related raffles and determine whether participants were misled.
The MP said the call formed part of broader efforts to seek accountability over what he described as a “World Cup visa and fundraising scandal,” which, according to him, had damaged Ghana’s international reputation and affected many citizens.
Mr Assafuah disclosed that he had petitioned President John Dramani Mahama and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to establish an independent commission of inquiry into the matter.
He said although he had been invited to assist a committee reportedly established by the Presidency to investigate the issues, he had declined to participate because he believed only an independent and public inquiry could guarantee transparency and public confidence.
According to the MP, two separate World Cup raffles were launched by state-linked institutions and private partners with promises of facilitating travel opportunities for Ghanaian supporters to attend the tournament in the United States and Canada.
He alleged that the first raffle, launched on November 4, 2025, by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), National Lottery Authority (NLA) and Rambel Lotteries, invited Ghanaians to participate through a short code at a cost of GH¢10 per stake.
The initiative, he said, promised that 220 lucky winners would receive fully sponsored trips, including flights, accommodation and match tickets, to support the Black Stars at the World Cup.
Mr Assafuah questioned what became of the proceeds from the raffle, whether winners were selected and whether participants who paid into the scheme were refunded after the initiative was reportedly discontinued.
He further alleged that a second raffle, branded the Ghana 2026 FIFA World Cup Raffle, was launched on March 18, 2026, at the Ministry of Finance under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the World Cup Fundraising Committee.
According to him, the second exercise required participants to pay GH¢10 per entry through the *899# short code and an online platform.
Mr Assafuah claimed that although winners were announced, some were later directed to submit passport details and other personal documents through a WhatsApp number bearing Mali’s international country code (+223) rather than a Ghanaian number.
He questioned why a state-backed initiative would require citizens to transmit sensitive personal information through a foreign telephone number, describing the development as worrying and deserving of investigation by the Data Protection Commission.
The MP further alleged that some winners were issued FIFA-related access codes and instructed to prepare for travel but subsequently discovered that their names were not included on official embassy processing lists.
He said documents available to his office indicated that certain winners completed several administrative processes, including passport submissions, police reports and visa-related documentation, yet did not travel to the tournament.
Mr Assafuah also challenged statements by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation that raffle winners benefited from match tickets purchased by Government for the tournament.
He noted that the Ministry had publicly stated that 2,922 World Cup tickets acquired with public funds were distributed to recognised supporter groups, raffle winners and members of the Ghanaian diaspora in North America.
However, he claimed persons identified as raffle winners had informed him that they neither travelled nor received World Cup tickets.
The Ranking Member said several critical questions remained unanswered, including the total revenue generated from both raffles, the number of participants involved, the identity of the 220 announced winners and the financial arrangements surrounding the schemes.
He called on the NLA, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and all entities associated with the raffles to publish the official draw procedures, sales figures, winner lists, contracts, expenditure records and any surplus transferred into sports development funds.
Mr Assafuah also demanded disclosure of the operators behind the Ghana 2026 FIFA World Cup Raffle platform and an explanation of the handling, storage and security of participants’ personal data.
“The people of Ghana deserve full transparency and accountability,” he said.
He further urged government to compensate any individuals who incurred financial losses through participation in the raffles if investigations established wrongdoing.
Mr Assafuah called on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to consider the raffle issues as part of its ongoing examination of the broader World Cup-related controversies.
He maintained that the matter was not merely about football but about public accountability, protection of citizens’ personal information, and confidence in state institutions.
In a swift rebuttal, Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister of Sports and Recreation, firmly denied the allegations raised by Mr Assafuah.
The Minister described claims of financial mismanagement and irregularities surrounding the raffle exercises as “falsehoods”.
Mr Adams explained that the initial raffle was organised by Rambel in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), but the company later decided to discontinue the exercise.
According to him, the Ministry intervened and engaged Rambel to ensure that participants who had already emerged as winners under the arrangement were appropriately catered for.
“The Ministry made it clear that those who had already won under the process should benefit from the package despite Rambel’s decision to halt the programme,” he said.
The Minister noted that before the suspension of the initial raffle, all monies staked by participants, including those who had won, were refunded in full.
He said an agreement was subsequently reached for the winners to resubmit the refunded amounts to enable Rambel to continue processing their travel documentation.
However, he stated that most of the winners rejected that arrangement, effectively endorsing the earlier decision to receive refunds.
Mr Adams said a second raffle was later introduced, resulting in the selection of 31 winners for the World Cup package.
He disclosed that all 31 winners were processed for travel, but only five successfully secured visas and travelled to the United States to watch matches during the tournament.
“The five beneficiaries obtained their visas, travelled to the United States, attended the various events, watched the games and have since returned,” he said.
The Minister explained that the remaining winners were either denied visas or received interview appointments that fell outside the World Cup period, making it impossible for them to travel.
To address the situation, he said alternative arrangements were made to allow affected winners to attend future international sporting events.
He cited Morocco as an immediate option but noted that many beneficiaries declined the offer because they had already secured permission from their workplaces for the World Cup trip and could not make alternative travel arrangements at short notice.
Mr Adams said another option involving financial compensation was subsequently presented, with some winners opting for that package.
He added that discussions were still ongoing with the remaining beneficiaries to ensure they were appropriately compensated.
Addressing concerns about the proceeds from the raffle, the Minister stressed that funds generated from the exercise had not been utilised.
“Every pesewa from the raffle remains untouched. The fundraising committee continues to hold the funds to ensure that all affected winners are adequately compensated,” he stated.
Mr Adams urged the public to disregard claims suggesting that raffle funds had been misappropriated, insisting that the Ministry had maintained engagement with the winners through their representatives and remained committed to resolving all outstanding matters.
He reiterated that affected participants would either be given opportunities to attend future sporting competitions or receive financial compensation, depending on their preference.
The Minister thanked the public for allowing him the opportunity to clarify the issues and encouraged Ghanaians to rely on verified information rather than what he described as misleading claims regarding the raffle process.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Email: [email protected]