Independent body must probe Norway para-athletes scandal – Vanderpuye

Former Sports Minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has called for an independent investigation into the Norway Para-Athletes scandal, rejecting the Sports Ministry’s probe.

This comes after Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, announced an investigation into the incident, where a group of alleged Ghanaian Para-athletes absconded in Norway, resulting in one death and another arrest.

He criticised the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana for failing to ensure due diligence in the application process for the alleged athletes.

However, speaking in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr Vanderpuye cited the Australian Commonwealth Games visa scandal, where government officials were involved, and emphasised the need for an independent body to investigate the Norway incident.

He questioned the credibility of the Sports Ministry’s investigation, suggesting potential official complicity.

The former Sports Minister also criticised the Sports Minister’s attempt to blame the Norwegian Embassy for failing to ensure due diligence in the application process.

The Member of Parliament argued that the embassy cannot be held responsible and that an independent investigation is necessary to uncover the truth.

He said, “Well the embassy cannot be blamed. What do you expect? We are talking about a regime under which we’ve seen a situation where people were virtually made athletes.

“We all know what happened, the Commonwealth Visa Scandal. In that situation, government apparatchik officials, and state officials were involved. What has come out of that issue? Under this government, everything is possible.”

“I would not surprised if this so-called issue of forged documents and the rest has an official endorsement. If this had not blown out, who would have heard about it? We’ve seen it before where there was official complexity in the issuance of visas for people to go to Commonwealth Games in Australia when they were actually not athletes, they were not journalists, they misrepresented themselves, they were sent there so if it has happened again, with Amputee Team which is not our National Amputee Team according to the President of Ghana Disabled Sports Association, then who do you blame? I would require an independent body doing the investigation, not the Ministry itself doing the investigation.”

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