Former Minister for Youth and Sports Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will prosecute Pius Enam Hadzide if they win the 2024 elections.
This announcement follows a recent campaign promise by Hadzide, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for Asuogyaman, who urged voters to support him for their children to have the opportunity to travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup.
In response, Vanderpuye highlighted the 2017 Visa Scandal, in which Hadzide, then Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, was implicated.
Although President Akufo-Addo later cleared Hadzide of any wrongdoing, Vanderpuye suggested that Hadzide’s recent comments indicate an admission of guilt.
He announced that, under an NDC government, there would be a new investigation and potential prosecution related to the scandal.
The 2017 Visa Scandal involved allegations of improper visa acquisitions for the Commonwealth Games in Australia, and it remains a contentious issue in Ghanaian politics.
“What Pius Hadzide has just done is confirm what all of us suspected and talked about, the embarrassment and the disgrace he brought to this country.
He has confessed that even in Australia which is 18 hours, he has been able to take people, how much more USA. So he has just confessed to the fact that he actually did what he was accused of and what the president cleared him of, it is an embarrassment, it is appalling, it is disgraceful and the president and Pius should bow their heads in shame.
“I just hope that the people in his constituency will see him for who he is and vote against him for what he just said.
“I have said in his constituency recently that the first person we will prosecute in 2025 is Pius Hadzide and he has just given us more evidence to do that.
“We will reopen the case on the Australia Visa Scandal and all persons who are found guilty will be dealt with and Pius has just confessed to the crime,” he stated.
