A judge in Canada has rejected Thomas Partey’s appeal to enter the country after the Ghana midfielder was denied entry for the World Cup.
On Tuesday, Justice Roger Lafrenière, who heard the emergency application in Ottawa, rejected Partey’s request to override temporarily a decision by immigration officials. The Black Stars are due to in Toronto for the team’s opening match against Panama on Wednesday.
In his judgement, Lafrenière sided with Canada’s immigration rules and said Partey failed to show grounds for emergency relief.
At issue are the seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault Parey faces in the United Kingdom. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in London next year.
In its rejection of his application, Canada has said immigration decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and that hosting the World Cup does not change the country’s immigration laws. Lafrenière said granting Partey relief would have “lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event”.
Notably, documents filed in court showed Partey had claimed he had not been charged with any criminal charges in any country when applying to enter Canada before the tournament. Partey was previously asked by Canadian immigration officials to clarify the charges he was facing in the UK.
In an affidavit filed with the court, Partey pledged to remain under the supervision of team officials if permitted to enter Canada. He also promised to would leave the country in accordance with the tournament schedule.
“I have not been convicted of any offence. I have pleaded not guilty, and I remain presumed innocent,” Partey said.
The midfielder also said being unable to travel to Canada would “materially affect” Ghana’s ability to play in the tournament. “This is the first time that my country has qualified at the World Cup,” he also said in the affidavit. Ghana qualified for the previous tournament in Qatar, where Partey played in three games.
Before the ruling, Ghana’s head coach, Carlos Queiroz, said he was prepared to “play with the cards that are in front of me”. He told reporters: “We are waiting for a decision. When the decision come, we are ready. We are ready to make the final approach to the game.”
Partey was permitted to enter the United States for Ghana’s training camp and upcoming World Cup matches. He will be able to play in the two matches against England and Croatia, in Boston and Philadelphia.