International relations expert, Dr. Ismael Hlovor, has urged the government to prioritize the search for the missing athletes in Oslo within the next 90 days.
In an interview with The Accra Times, the lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, said the situation is detrimental to the country’s reputation, particularly in the sports community and given the recurring instances of suspicious government-sponsored visa acquisitions, resolution in three months is crucial for getting our reputation.
“That should be able to happen and within a space of two to three months, we should provide a detailed investigation on every aspect of this and detail out what plans we have, as in, within the sports ministry and all other agencies under the sports ministry to ensure that in future this incident doesn’t reoccur,” he said. “That will be reassuring to the international community, that will give us some credibility and statement that we are committed”
He stresses that it is in the government’s best interest to tackle this case and sanitize the system to prevent future incidents. He emphasized the need to punish perpetrators of this fraud after a thorough investigation is carried out.
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“The fact that the issue has happened before, on two previous occasions, that people somehow got visas under very suspicious circumstances and traveled out of this nation and didn’t return means that we need to deal with this one as a matter of urgency, as a matter of national priority and we should be able to put people out there who will face the law,” Dr. Hlovor added.” “Once it is recurring then it means it is gradually damaging the image of the nation, it will gradually put too much pressure on genuine sportsmen who are looking for visas to represent this nation and that will not work well for Ghana and Ghana sports. Without a certain punishment, without dealing with such people it will become endemic.”.
While welcoming a multi-institutional approach to the issue, he believes the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) is the most suitable agency to lead the investigation and take appropriate action.
In April, nine Ghanaian para-athletes disappeared in Oslo during the Bergen Marathon, prompting the Ministry of National Security in Ghana to release a statement. The statement revealed that Nana Antwi, one of the athletes, is in Norwegian custody, while the team’s coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, sadly died on April 28, 2024, after a sudden collapse led to his hospitalization at Oslo University Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Minority Members of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee are demanding an immediate inquiry into the visa scandal.
