ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s government has criticized Canada’s “extremely unfair” decision to deny midfielder Thomas Partey a visa for his team’s World Cup opener while he awaits trial on rape charges, and it threatened legal action in a bid to overturn the refusal.The 32-year-old Partey, who is scheduled to stand trial in London later this year, returned to Ghana’s base camp in Rhode Island after Canada denied his visa application to enter the country for Wednesday’s match against Panama in Toronto.Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday issued a statement criticizing what it called “the high-handed and extremely unfair decision by Canada to refuse a temporary residence application” for Partey.Partey faces allegations from several women dating to his time with English club Arsenal from 2020-25. Partey, who played in Spain for Villarreal this past season, has pleaded not guilty.
Ghana’s government said it “reaffirms the fundamental legal principle of the presumption of innocence, a cornerstone of justice and due process in democratic societies.”“While respecting Canada’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, Ghana considers that reliance on unproven charges in the absence of a judicial determination raises fundamental questions of fairness and proportionality,” the statement read. “Accordingly, Ghana is pursuing active diplomatic engagements with the relevant Canadian authorities on this matter.”
