The Deputy Director of Elections and IT of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rashid Tanko-Computer, has raised concerns over claims that some individuals paid $15,000 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal.

According to him, the visa scandal, which has been highlighted by Old Tafo Member of Parliament Vincent Ekow Assafuah, could be an attempt at propaganda. He questioned the authenticity of some of the claims, particularly those concerning individuals allegedly paying huge sums of money for visa facilitation.

He noted that, with the Ghanaian economy reportedly improving and inflation falling, it would be more beneficial to invest such money in a business that could generate income than to spend it on travelling abroad.

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“But you see, our brothers in NPP, I always look at them and say, when you are doing propaganda, sometimes you watch the figures. You know what $15,000 is? You have $15,000, and you're going to give it to somebody as a bribe to go to the US. Then you go and give it to somebody and say, ‘Help me get a visa to go to the US.’ To do what?'

"You know what $15,000 can do in Ghana currently with the business landscape? We have sanitised the economy; we have brought down inflation and the dollar rate; we have brought it down. Now we are going into BRICS. You can do business straight without prejudice,” he said while speaking on Good Morning Ghana, aired on Metro TV.

The NDC Deputy Director of Elections further argued that the United States does not offer as many opportunities as some people believe and that Ghana’s current economic conditions could provide better prospects for those seeking to invest such money.

“I've visited the United States several times. I've visited several of the states several times. And I've said—it's not as heavenly as—You know what? I'll tell you. I'll be the last person to advise you to go to America right now to say you are going to look for greener pastures. No, they are equating the America of the '80s and '90s to the current America. We are now in a digital world. Go there and see the kind of thing they are doing over there. It's not like the '80s and '90s, where people are going, you can go and get some menial jobs or some other things, you put together a few dollars, and you are managing yourself. You come here and say it's not like that,” he added.

This comes as the police investigate the 2026 World Cup visa scandal involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and Tribe Culture Fest. Reports indicate that some individuals allegedly paid $15,000 for visa facilitation but were unsuccessful in obtaining visas and subsequently demanded refunds.

SB/JKB

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