Nana Boateng Gyimah
Tribe Culture Fest and its Chief Executive Officer, Nana Boateng Gyimah, have denied allegations by the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, that the organisation illegally received $611,000 from private individuals to facilitate visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is refusing to refund the amount.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Gyimah said the allegations attributed to the minister were not supported by established facts, and challenged Kofi Adams to provide evidence to back his claims.
He maintained that neither Tribe Culture Fest nor its CEO had received the money from the individuals mentioned in the allegations.
He explained that the organisation’s engagements with the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) were based on institutional and contractual arrangements for specific programmes and activities.
“Our position is clear. Tribe did not receive the alleged $611,000 from the private individuals referred to in the public allegation, and we did not enter into the personal financial arrangements being attributed to us,” Gyimah disclosed.
Gyimah’s denial follows claims by Minister of Sports and Recreation that Tribe Culture Fest took $611,000 under an arrangement with the GTA to facilitate visas for individuals who sought them for the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is refusing to refund same.
The minister disclosed that the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service is investigating the broader visa-related allegations that has rocked the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Authority, leading President Mahama to suspend its Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
Tribe Fest Denial
Tribe Culture Fest has, however, denied the minister’s allegation, pointing out that the arrangements between the organisation, the NSA and GTA covered event logistics, travel coordination, hotel reservations, transportation and security services.
Gyimah noted that Tribe charged $3,000 and $2,000 as full and final payments for its role in the relevant activities, insisting that the organisation had not received money directly from individuals seeking assistance to travel abroad.
He further stressed that the arrangements did not involve personal financial transactions with people seeking visas to travel to the United States, Canada or Mexico.
Gyimah has, therefore, called for verifiable evidence to establish the identities of those who allegedly made the payments, the recipients of the funds, the dates and methods of payment, and the accounts through which the money was transferred.
He also demanded copies of any agreements, receipts or acknowledgements linking Tribe Culture Fest or its chief executive to the alleged funds.
Additionally, he called for clarification of the legal or contractual basis on which the organisation was being asked to refund the money.
“These are not unreasonable demands. They are minimum evidentiary requirements for determining responsibility in a matter of this nature,” he said.
Gyimah argued that any investigation into the allegations must identify the actual recipients of the money and determine whether the funds were paid to an intermediary and, if so, where they ultimately went.
“Our position is not that allegations should never be investigated. On the contrary, all credible allegations should be investigated thoroughly. Our position is that investigation must precede conclusions about guilt, and that public accusations should be grounded in verifiable facts,” he stated.
He maintained that responsibility for the alleged transactions should be established through evidence rather than assumptions or public allegations.
“If a claim is made that Tribe received or must refund a particular amount, the evidence should establish the basis for that claim,” he added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
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