A senior White House official has addressed growing controversy surrounding Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, defending his participation at the FIFA World Cup despite ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed that United States authorities were fully aware of Partey’s legal situation before allowing him entry into the country for the tournament.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport, Giuliani stressed the American position on due process, stating that the midfielder remains legally innocent until proven guilty, despite the seriousness of the allegations.
“We were certainly aware of the case,” Giuliani said. “The stance on our end is that, as heinous as these charges are, he’s innocent until proven guilty.”
The comments represent the clearest public explanation yet of why Partey was permitted entry into the United States, while he was previously denied access to neighbouring Canada ahead of Ghana’s opening World Cup fixture.
Canadian authorities had refused entry to the Ghana vice-captain, forcing him to miss Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto.
