Some fifty Ghanaians claiming to be journalists have been deported from Australia where the commonwealth games are currently taking place.
Starr FM reported that Australian officials were not convinced by reasons given by these Ghanaians for traveling to the Asian country for the games.
The said deportees however obtained genuine visas and other traveling documents but were without equipment like recorders and recommended mobile phones for coverage.
Ghana’s deputy sports minister Pious Enam Hadidze told Starr FM that “The explanation is that a grant of visa or entry permit is not automatic and that at the point of entry, the Australian authorities do some further investigations and so based on those investigations some of the officials are not convinced that some of the Ghanaians who purport to go and cover the commonwealth games intend to return to Ghana after the games.”
One of the deportees told another local media Atinka FM, that officials of the Ghana Olympics Sports Committee and the Ministry of Sports were paid between $2,000 and $5,000 to have their visas processed as journalists for the Games.
The Ghanaian government has however denied playing a role in facilitating the trip of these Ghanaians as it assured it would investigate the incident.
“We did not sponsor journalists, we didn’t sponsor supporters, we didn’t sponsor anybody to the Commonwealth Games, we didn’t handle accreditation and for international tournaments, the ministry doesn’t handle accreditation,” the minister told another local media, Graphic Online.
Ghana, a member of the commonwealth is taking part in the games that opened on Wednesday.
Source: Africafeeds.com
