Nine of 11 individuals claiming to be Ghana’s Paralympic team for the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon in Oslo this April are now nowhere to be found, with reports indicating the team may have been impersonating legitimate athletes.
Ghana’s National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, issued a letter revealing the details of the controversy. The group obtained visas from the Norwegian embassy in Accra but never registered for the competition.
Upon arrival in Oslo on April 25th, one member, Nana Antwi, attempted to flee to Sweden and was arrested. Tragically, the team’s coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, collapsed on April 28th and later died in the hospital on May 17th.
Authorities suspect the remaining nine individuals are on the run and have issued security alerts. The Norwegian Embassy is working with international agencies to locate and repatriate them.
Meanwhile, head of Ghana’s Paralympic Committee, Samson Deen, denies any involvement in the controversial situation and alleged in an interview on Joy Sports that his signature was forged to obtain the visas.
“The Ghana Paralympic team has not sent anybody, written a letter, and has never applied for a visa at the Norwegian embassy,” Deen stated during the interview.