The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of two 2026 FIFA World Cup raffle programmes following allegations that 229 declared winners were excluded from official visa lists submitted to the United States and Canadian embassies.
The opposition lawmakers are demanding a comprehensive investigation into the organisation, financial transactions and management of the raffles, raising concerns about possible financial irregularities, alleged fraud and the handling of participants’ personal information.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee and Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, made the demands during a media briefing on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
He accused the organisers of turning the World Cup fan selection exercises into what he described as acts of alleged extortion and fraud.
Assafuah disclosed that the Minority had petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Data Protection Commission to investigate issues surrounding raffle proceeds, match tickets and the handling of personal information submitted by participants.
The caucus has also renewed its demand for a commission of inquiry into the wider controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in the 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements.
Minority Wants Auditor-General to Investigate Two World Cup Raffles
According to Assafuah, the proposed special audit should cover two separate raffle exercises organised to select Ghanaian supporters for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as well as the broader World Cup fundraising arrangements.
The first promotion was introduced on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, through a partnership involving the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and lottery operator Rambell.
Under the World Cup Bonanza initiative, organisers announced plans to support 220 Ghanaian football fans with subsidised flights, accommodation, group-stage match tickets and visa assistance to attend the tournament in the United States and Canada.
However, Assafuah alleged that the initial raffle was discontinued after members of the public had already paid GH¢10 for each lottery entry.
He questioned whether all participants received refunds following the cancellation and demanded that the organisers disclose the number of winners selected and establish whether any of them eventually travelled to North America.
The Old Tafo MP argued that ordinary Ghanaians who spent money participating in the promotion deserved accountability and transparency from the organisers.
He also challenged the authorities to publish evidence of refunds made to participants who entered the cancelled competition.
229 World Cup Raffle Winners Allegedly Missing from Visa Lists
The Minority’s concerns have extended to the second World Cup raffle launched on March 18, 2026, by Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams and the World Cup fundraising committee.
Assafuah alleged that a combined total of 229 declared winners from the two promotional exercises were not included in the official visa lists submitted to the American and Canadian embassies.
He further claimed that some winners selected under the second raffle were given only 95 minutes to submit their passport details through a contact reportedly based in Mali.
According to him, participants who failed to provide the required information within the stipulated period risked losing their opportunity to travel for the World Cup.
The Minority believes the circumstances surrounding the collection and transmission of passport details require an independent investigation.
It has therefore petitioned the Data Protection Commission to examine how participants’ personal information was collected, processed, stored and shared with external parties.
Minority Demands Disclosure of World Cup Raffle Contracts and Revenue
Beyond the special audit, the opposition caucus wants the government to publish all agreements and financial arrangements connected to the two World Cup raffle programmes.
Assafuah has specifically demanded details of the contracts involving the organisers, including the companies responsible for operating the website ghworldcupraffle.com.
The Minority is also seeking clarification on whether the National Lottery Authority formally licensed or participated in the raffle arrangements.
Other financial information being demanded includes:
- Total revenue generated from World Cup Bonanza ticket sales.
- The amount allocated to the raffle prize fund.
- Details of goodwill payments and transfers.
- Government revenue generated from the raffle exercises.
- Any surplus transferred into Ghana’s Sports Fund.
- Financial agreements between the government and private operators.
The caucus says publishing these records would help establish how public and privately generated funds were managed and whether the organisers complied with the relevant financial and regulatory requirements.
Minority Questions Distribution of 2,922 World Cup Match Tickets
The opposition lawmakers have also raised concerns about the purchase and distribution of 2,922 FIFA World Cup match tickets reportedly acquired using public funds.
Assafuah is demanding a detailed breakdown showing how the tickets were allocated, how many were reserved for raffle winners and whether the beneficiaries actually used them to attend matches.
The Minority wants the government to account for the tickets and explain the arrangements governing their distribution.
Sports Minister Kofi Adams Rejects Minority’s Allegations
Meanwhile, Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams has dismissed the opposition’s allegations, describing them as baseless.
The minister has assured affected World Cup raffle participants that those who missed the opportunity to travel will receive compensation or be considered for trips to future international sporting tournaments.
Adams also maintained that all participants in the cancelled first raffle received refunds.
Addressing concerns about the second raffle organised by Impuntu, the minister disclosed that five of the 31 winners selected under the sponsorship arrangement successfully obtained United States visas, attended the matches and returned to Ghana.
He further insisted that the money generated from the Impuntu raffle had not been spent and remained with the fundraising committee while arrangements were being made to compensate the remaining winners.
The minister also rejected claims that winners were required to communicate with suspicious foreign telephone contacts, describing the Minority’s allegations as false.
He maintained that the affected participants had been engaging with their designated leaders and the organisers.
World Cup Visa Scandal Raises Further Questions
The controversy surrounding the World Cup raffles comes amid broader allegations that more than US$600,000 was collected from individuals seeking visas to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Reports surrounding the allegations suggest that some visa applicants were charged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 each.
The claims prompted a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) investigation by the Ghana Police Service and the suspension of National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
However, both the Ministry of Sports and the Ghana Tourism Authority have denied collecting money in exchange for World Cup visa approvals.
The allegations have intensified calls for transparency and accountability in the management of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Assafuah Boycotts Presidential Committee Meeting
At the November 5 briefing, Assafuah also confirmed that he had declined an invitation to appear before an internal committee established by President John Dramani Mahama to examine the controversy.
The invitation was reportedly delivered through presidential advisers.
The MP explained that he would not participate because the committee’s membership and terms of reference had not been made public.
Following his earlier petition to the Office of the Special Prosecutor over alleged World Cup visa irregularities, the Minority is now calling on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to formally investigate both raffle programmes and take evidence from the relevant stakeholders.
The caucus maintains that an independent audit, parliamentary scrutiny and investigations by the appropriate state institutions are necessary to establish the facts, account for the funds involved and address concerns raised by affected Ghanaian football supporters.
Source: newsthemegh.com