2026 World Cup visa scandal: TRIBE Culture Fest denies receiving alleged US$611,000 for visa payments

TRIBE Culture Fest and its Chief Executive Officer, Nana Boateng Gyimah have denied allegations that the organisation fraudulently received US$611,000 from private individuals seeking visas to travel abroad for the 2026 World Cup.

The denial follows an allegation by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, that the organisation or its CEO received the money and was avoiding a refund.

At a press conference on Sunday, October 18, 2026, TRIBE Culture Fest CEO, Nana Boateng Gyimah said it did not receive the alleged amount from the individuals involved and had no personal financial arrangements with people seeking visas to travel to the United States, Canada or Mexico.

"We do not accept the presentation of this allegation as an established fact. Our position is clear: TRIBE did not receive the alleged US$611,000 from the private individuals referred to in the public allegations, and we did not enter into the personal financial arrangements being attributed to us," he stated.

The CEO explained that its contractual relationships were with the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) for specific programmes and activities.

It said its role involved event logistics, travel arrangements, hotel bookings, transportation and security.

"TRIBE’s stated contractual relationships concerning the programs in question were with the National Sports Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority. Our dealings were institutional arrangements relating to specific programs and activities. They were not personal financial arrangements with private individuals seeking visas to travel to the United States, Canada or Mexico," he added.

According to TRIBE Culture Fest, it charged US$3,000 and US$2,000 per person under its arrangements with the NSA and other institutions for the services provided.

The organisation further claimed that it had never received payments directly from the individuals mentioned in the allegations.

"Our attention has been drawn to the fact that individuals paid as high as $14,000 - $20,000 to individuals at the NSA with the promise of securing visas for their travels to USA, Canada etc.

"We wish to set the record straight that, by the arrangement between TRIBE and the NSA, and the other institutions, we charged 3000USD, and 2000 USD person as the full and final payments for our role in event logistics, travel logistics, hotel bookings, transportation and security," Nana Boateng Gyimah clarified.

TRIBE Culture Fest further called for evidence to establish who made the alleged payments, who received the money, and the dates, amounts and methods of payment.

It also wants the agreements, receipts and other records being relied on to support the allegation, as well as the legal or contractual basis for demanding a refund from the organisation.

“TRIBE cannot reasonably be required to account for money it did not receive or for personal arrangements it did not enter into,” he said.

TRIBE Culture Fest CEO challenged those making the allegations to produce documentary evidence to support their claims.

"If a person paid money to a particular recipient, the evidence should establish who that recipient was. If the money was paid to an intermediary, the records should establish the intermediary’s role and the ultimate destination of the funds. If a claim is made that TRIBE received or must refund a particular amount, the evidence should establish the basis for that claim."