Ghanaian authorities are investigating after several individuals claiming to be para-athletes and their support staff reportedly absconded during a trip to Norway.
The party of 11 are alleged to have fraudulently obtained visas to enter the Scandinavian country on the premise of competing in the Bergen City Marathon on 26 April, and then failed to register for the race.
Ghana’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC Ghana) said the team in question were not known to the organisation and did not represent it in any capacity, and that the case was one of “impersonation and misrepresentation” by “imposters”.
NPC Ghana also alleged the visas were obtained from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Accra using forged documents.
The body named two individuals from a disability foundation, who it claimed had facilitated the trip, and has barred them indefinitely from disability sport in the West African country and reported them to police for investigation.
The two individuals did not respond to requests from BBC Sport Africa for comment.
Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports said it was working with relevant authorities to investigate the matter “to ascertain the issues surrounding the incident”.
“Necessary sanctions would be brought to [bear] on all parties found culpable in the matter,” said a statement from the Ministry.
“It is important to note that while this incident is unfortunate, it does not define the dedication and integrity of the entire sports fraternity.”
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ghana told BBC Sport Africa it does not comment on individual cases because of confidentiality.
Norway’s National Police Immigration Service, which is responsible for recording and returning persons staying illegally in the country, was also unable to comment on individual cases.
NPC Ghana said the matter was “already in the domain of the country’s security agencies”.
“We want to assure the public that NPC Ghana is prepared to assist the security agencies in unravelling the truth,” it added in a statement.
“All those individuals involved and behind this illicit act will be fished out and brought to face the full rigours of the law.”
NPC Ghana told BBC Sport Africa the incident will not affect the participation of Ghanaian para-athletes, officials and stakeholders at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“No member of the Paralympic team, no licensed athlete and no official or volunteers are involved in the alleged fraudulent act,” it said.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports also appealed to embassies and consulates in Ghana to verify visa requests for sporting competitions before approving and granting documents allowing travel.
