It has emerged that officials at the Ghana Olympics Committee (GOC) in charge of the country’s participation at the ongoing Commonwealth Games sent fake people to Australia to participate in Beach Volley Ball, a sporting discipline, Ghana did not qualify.
Documents available to Starrfmonline.com indicate that 11 people detained and later deported to Ghana arrived in the Oceania country claiming they were athletes to participate in beach volleyball.
Ghana failed to qualify for Beach Volleyball for the Commonwealth Games in 2017. Even though the so called athletes had genuine visas, the Australian authorities suspected they were in the country for a different mission.
Starrfmonline.com has also uncovered that President of the Ghana Volleyball Association Paul Atchoe who doubles as the 1st Vice President of the Ghana Olympics Committee attached two people –Martin and Sampson Atchoe – suspected to be his relatives to the team.
Aside facilitating some fake journalists to emplane to Australia, the GOC also added fake people to the swimming team. Fake officials were also added to the swimming team for the event.
The President of the Swimming team Theophilus Edzie is also reported to have included in the official list a relative of his.
Some of the fake people who travelled to Australia with the help of GOC officials and officials of the Ministry of Sports reportedly paid between GHC15, 000 to GHC22, 000.
Others have also disclosed that they paid between 4, 000 and 5, 000 euros.
Starrfmonline.com has also gathered that the Presidency has issued a memo to all embassies in Ghana not to issue visas to Heads of the various Federations until the list is properly vetted.
Donation of Bicycles
Before the commencement of the event, it came to light that the Ghanaian cycling contingent arrived with broken bikes and without a coach.
The Ghanaian authorities, however, immediately denied the reports suggesting that the cycling team travelled to Australia without bicycles and a coach.
The rumours, which went viral on social media, compelled some Australian citizens to donate bicycles and tyres worth several thousands of dollars to the team.
Peter Spencer, owner of GC Bike Fit, who volunteered to coach the team, said “it was the most amazing show of the underdogs I have ever seen in cycling,” leading to an overwhelming support from the public in terms of donation of parts and equipment.
One of the Ghanaian cyclists said: “honestly speaking, none of us have been running on brand new tyres and some parts…and we’ve been using outmoded parts.”
Boycott by athletes
On Friday Ghanaian athletes in Australia threatened to boycott the event if their per diems owed them are not immediately paid.
According to the athletes, the officials have taken all per diem due them from government but they the athletes are yet to receive any amount.
The athletes claim they are owed $400 per diem, each.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday suspended the deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide and the acting Director General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Sarfo Mensah with immediate effect for the scandal in Australia.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
