Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana, has firmly denied authorizing the travel of a group of Ghanaian para-athletes to Norway for the Bergren Marathon. Addressing the controversy surrounding the reported death of an alleged team member in Oslo, Deen clarified that his signature was forged on the visa application letter used by the supposed Ghanaian representatives.

A letter from the Ministry of National Security to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration reported that para-athlete Nana Antwi had been detained by Norwegian security officials. However, Deen disclaimed any knowledge of the individuals mentioned in the letter, emphasizing that neither he nor the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana had any involvement in their visa applications.

“We want to make things clear that the Ghana Paralympic Team have not applied for a visa, never have anybody, never has the NPC-Ghana, never have I signed any letter for and on behalf of the Ghana Paralympic Team and never have we or any of our assigns or officers of the Ghana Paralympic Team or the NPC-Ghana have applied for a visa at the Norwegian Embassy. What you have seen in the media is a forged letter,” Deen stated.

He urged the public not to associate the viral pictures and stories with any members of the Ghana Paralympic Team, as the individuals in the photos are not involved in the incident. “The letters that were sent with my signature on it were forged,” he reiterated.