TRIBE Culture Fest and its Chief Executive Officer, Nana Boateng Gyimah, have denied receiving US$611,000 from private individuals allegedly seeking visas to travel to the United States, Canada or Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.
The organisation’s response follows an allegation by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, that TRIBE Culture Fest or its CEO had received the money and was refusing to refund it.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, October 18, 2026, Nana Boateng Gyimah said the organisation had not been paid the alleged amount by any of the individuals involved. He also rejected claims that TRIBE had entered into personal financial arrangements with people seeking visas.
“We do not accept the presentation of this allegation as an established fact. Our position is clear: TRIBE did not receive the alleged US$611,000 from the private individuals referred to in the public allegations, and we did not enter into the personal financial arrangements being attributed to us,” he said.
Gyimah said TRIBE Culture Fest’s contractual dealings were with the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), rather than with private applicants.
He explained that the organisation had been responsible for event logistics, travel arrangements, hotel bookings, transportation and security under specific programmes.
“TRIBE’s stated contractual relationships concerning the programs in question were with the National Sports Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority. Our dealings were institutional arrangements relating to specific programs and activities. They were not personal financial arrangements with private individuals seeking visas to travel to the United States, Canada or Mexico,” he added.
TRIBE Culture Fest said its agreed charges were US$3,000 and US$2,000 per person, depending on the arrangements made with the NSA and other institutions.
The organisation also maintained that it had never received money directly from the individuals named in the allegations.
“Our attention has been drawn to the fact that individuals paid as high as $14,000 – $20,000 to individuals at the NSA with the promise of securing visas for their travels to USA, Canada etc.
“We wish to set the record straight that, by the arrangement between TRIBE and the NSA, and the other institutions, we charged 3000USD, and 2000 USD person as the full and final payments for our role in event logistics, travel logistics, hotel bookings, transportation and security,” Nana Boateng Gyimah said.
The organisation called for documentary evidence showing who made the alleged payments, who received them, and the dates, amounts and methods involved.
It also requested copies of any agreements, receipts or other records supporting the claims, along with the legal or contractual basis for seeking a refund from TRIBE.
“TRIBE cannot reasonably be required to account for money it did not receive or for personal arrangements it did not enter into,” Gyimah said.
He challenged those making the allegations to identify the recipients and provide evidence of the funds’ final destination.
“If a person paid money to a particular recipient, the evidence should establish who that recipient was. If the money was paid to an intermediary, the records should establish the intermediary’s role and the ultimate destination of the funds. If a claim is made that TRIBE received or must refund a particular amount, the evidence should establish the basis for that claim.”
