Relatives sent to retrieve corpse of absconded Ghanaian ‘Paralympic coach’ also flee in Norway

Samson Deen, president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana (NPC-Ghana), says four relatives sent to retrieve the corpse of a member of the country’s absconded Paralympic team have also gone missing in Norway. 

Deen spoke in a chat with Asaase Breakfast Show in Kumasi, Ghana, on Monday.

In April, a Paralympic team travelled to Norway, supposedly to represent Ghana in the Fjordkraft Bergen city marathon.

The team had obtained visas from the Norwegian embassy in Accra and was expected to participate in the tournament in Oslo on April 27.

However, according to a letter from Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana’s national security minister, the team failed to register for the tournament, and all members fled.

Nana Antwi, a team member, was arrested on April 26 for attempting to depart Norway for Sweden on a one-way train ticket. George Gyamfi Gyasi, the team’s coach, collapsed on April 28 and died on May 17 at the Oslo University Hospital, while nine people are presently on the run.

Speaking on the situation, Deen said only “six or seven people” who applied were initially granted visas as supposed members of the Ghanaian Paralympic team.

He added that upon the coach’s death, another four relatives were sent to retrieve the deceased corpse, and they also “absconded”.

“If you look at the first application, it was six or seven people they applied for initially. They were denied visas,  they got the letters they wanted subsequently forged, but upon arrival, they absconded, and one died,” the president of NPC-Ghana said.

“They subsequently wrote to the Norwegian embassy again and requested to send the families of the one who died. The people went, they couldn’t bring the corpse. The four also absconded. These guys are known. They’ve been identified,”

Deen had earlier alleged that his signature was forged to procure the visas. He also denied knowledge of the Paralympic team.

Ghana will send only one representative to the 2024 Paralympics to be held from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.