Tribe Culture Fest has denied allegations that it received US$611,000 from private individuals to facilitate visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and failed to refund the money.

TRiBE Culture Fest, a FIFA-licensed international sports, culture and tourism platform that collaborated with the National Sports Authority (NSA) during the World Cup, issued the response following claims made by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, in media interviews on Sunday, October 11, and Monday, October 12.

In the interviews, the Minister alleged that investigations by his outfit had uncovered payments to Tribe Culture Fest from individuals seeking visas for the 2026 World Cup, which he claimed had not been refunded.

However, the amount he cited in his first interview with TV3 on Sunday has since changed from US$611,000 to US$623,000, according to a report by Citi Sports on Monday, October 12.

In a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nana Boateng Gyimah, the company denied the allegations.

“I categorically deny the allegations attributed to the Minister for Sports, Hon. Kofi Adams, that Tribe Culture Fest or I illegally received US$611,000 and avoided a refund,” he said.

Mr Gyimah also denied claims linking the company to financial dealings with private individuals in connection with the visa arrangements, insisting that its agreements were with public institutions.

“For the record, Tribe Culture's agreement was solely with the National Sports Authority and Ghana Tourism Authority. Neither Tribe Culture Fest nor I received the alleged US$611,000 from any private individual in connection with the arrangements in question,” he said.

He challenged the Minister to provide evidence to support the allegations, including any agreement, authorisation or consent involving Tribe Culture Fest or himself that established the alleged financial arrangement.

Mr Gyimah also demanded verifiable payment records showing who paid the money, who received it, when the payments were made and how the Minister arrived at the US$611,000 figure.

He said the allegations risked damaging his reputation and the integrity of the company.

“My reputation and the integrity of Tribe Culture must not be undermined by unsubstantiated public accusations. I call on the Minister to substantiate his allegations or withdraw them and correct the public record, or have my lawyers deal with it,” he said.