Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo reinstated the deputy minister of youth and sports Pius Enam Hadzide, who was cleared of wrongdoing in the “Australian visa scandal.”
The presidency said in a release that the decision followed the completion of investigations into the scandal by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
Also reinstated is the suspended board chair of the National Sports Authority, Kwadwo Baah-Agyemang, following an investigation into circumstances that led to the arrest of some 60 Ghanaians, who had allegedly attempted to enter Australia by false pretenses in this year’s Commonwealth Games.
“The report of the inquiry into the allegations, which was submitted to the president on Friday, July 6, 2018, contained no adverse findings against them,” said the release signed by Communications Director at the presidency, Eugene Arhin.
Ghanaians were shocked when reports flooded both local and international media scene that many Ghanaians were detained and later departed after posing as journalists arriving in Australia to cover the Commonwealth Games.
But upon screening, the Australian Border Force was reportedly unconvinced about their reasons for traveling to the country or their claims of being journalists despite possessing genuine visas.
Many calls were made to the government to thoroughly investigate the matter and to establish the true identity of the deportees for the purposes of redeeming the image of Ghana.
– Hauwa Mustapha I VON
