Pay Up Or Prove It — Tribe Fest Boss Gives Sports Minister 48 Hours To Apologise Over $611,000 Claim

The fight over the $611,000 World Cup visa money has taken a new turn.

Lawyers for the CEO of Tribe Culture Fest, Nana Gyimah, have given the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, 48 hours to retract his allegations and apologise.

The lawyer, Vincent Assafua, warned that if the Minister fails to do so, they will take him to court and demand damages and other reliefs allowed by law.

This comes after Sports Minister Kofi Adams accused the Tribe Culture Fest CEO of illegally taking $611,000 and refusing to refund the money. The Minister said the CEO cannot run away with the money.

But Nana Gyimah has flatly denied the claim.

In a statement issued on Monday, October 12, he said, “I categorically deny the allegations attributed to the Minister for Sports, Kofi Adams, that Tribe Culture Fest or I illegally received US$611,000 and are avoiding a refund”.

He explained that Tribe Culture’s agreement was solely with the National Sports Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority. He added that neither he nor Tribe Culture Fest received the alleged $611,000 from any private individual in connection with the arrangements in question.

The money is linked to the arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup visas, where some individuals allegedly paid between $7,000 and $14,000 to secure visas.

The scandal has already caused pressure, with the Minority in Parliament calling for the dismissal of the Sports Minister and the GTA boss.

But the Tribe Culture Fest CEO is now fighting back. He wants proof. He is demanding that the Minister shows who paid the money, who received it, and where the evidence is.

His lawyer, Vincent Assafua, who is also the Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee, says the Minister’s statement is defamatory and has damaged his client’s hard-earned reputation.

For now, the ball is in the court of Kofi Adams. He has 48 hours to retract, apologise, or face a full legal battle in court.

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