Ghanaians claiming to be journalists could not operate recording equipment or explain their work to Australian immigration officials. For sports journalist Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo, that exposed the deception behind Ghana’s 2018 Commonwealth Games visa scandal.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, he said the scale of the international embarrassment made the controversy a major scandal.
Ghana’s name became associated with people posing as reporters to enter Australia for the Games.
“That was a huge scandal when the entire universe was awoken to a story that Ghanaians were posing as journalists,” he said.
Fentuo, who covered the controversy extensively, said he spoke to some of those involved.
“I spoke to some of those people, and it’s genuine that a lot of them were not journalists.”
His account showed how their claims fell apart under basic scrutiny. Some were asked to demonstrate how they would use the tools of the profession they claimed to practise.
“Some of them at the Australian immigration were shown an audio recording as to what this was, or were given a recorder and asked to operate it, and none of them could do that.”
Officials also questioned how they intended to carry out their supposed assignments. They asked which platforms they worked for and whether they could provide evidence.
“A lot of them couldn’t answer those questions at the time.”
The episode turned Ghana’s participation in a major sporting event into a controversy over suspected impersonation and visa fraud. Contemporary reporting recorded the interception and deportation of about 60 Ghanaians linked to the scandal.
Fentuo’s comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Ghana’s international sports travel arrangements following the 2026 World Cup.
A JoySports investigation reported allegations that more than $623,000 was collected from prospective travellers seeking visa assistance.
Applicants reported paying substantial sums without securing visas. The NSA Director-General denied involvement in the alleged scheme.
He was subsequently suspended pending investigations. The Sports Ministry has also denied involvement in the alleged irregularities and called for accountability.
For Fentuo, the defining issue in the Australian scandal was the damage to Ghana’s reputation when people claiming to represent its media failed to demonstrate basic journalistic skills.