President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced the lifting of the suspension of Deputy Sports Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide and will reinstate him on Monday.

The President on April 12, 2018, suspended from office, the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Pius Enam Hadzide and the acting Director General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Sarfo Mensah with immediate effect.

A statement by Communications Director Eugene Arhin stated that the decision has been taken following preliminary investigations conducted into the circumstances that led to the arrest of some sixty (60) Ghanaians, who had allegedly attempted to enter Australia by false pretences, in the on-going 21st Commonwealth Games.

The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah; the Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyeman; and the Chef-de-Maison for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Mr Mohammed Sahnoon, were recalled from the Games to assist in investigations that was being undertaken by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Service.

That was after 60 Ghanaians who were in Australia for the commonwealth games were detained and deported for acting as journalists. According to Australian authorities, they were not convinced by the reasons given by those so-called journalists for traveling to the country.

Eventhough those deported had genuine visas, many didn’t carry equipment like recorders and recommended mobile phones for coverage.

But speaking during the National Delegates Congress of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) in Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Saturday, President Akufo Addo said he’s had to reinstate Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide after he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the CID.

 “Upon my return from South Africa on a state visit I’ve received the report on the Australian Visa scandal which has exonerated the suspended Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports from any complicity in the visa fraud. I’ll lift his suspension on Monday and return him to office.

“We have seen greater accountability of public officials, the allegations of corruption or misconduct leveled against the two deputy Chiefs of Staff at the Presidency, against tghe Minister designated for Energy, against the Minister for Trade and Industry in the so called cash for seat scandal, against the suspended Upper West Regional Minister were investigated by independent agencies i.e the Police or Parliament and found to be baseless and without foundation.”

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