A Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, who claimed to have broken the world record for the longest non-stop cooking by an individual, was arrested following a dispute with his sponsor.
On Tuesday, Smith held a press conference where he announced that he had cooked continuously for 802 hours and 25 minutes, presenting a certificate purportedly from Guinness World Records (GWR) to confirm his achievement.
However, a GWR spokesperson refuted his claims on Wednesday, stating that the certificate was not authentic and that GWR had no record of his attempt.
The chef’s arrest came soon after his press conference, instigated by his sponsor, Amadia Shopping Centre in Spintex, Accra, where Smith held his cooking marathon in March.
The sponsor accused him of breaching their contract by not informing them of the alleged confirmation of the award.
The incident has sparked shock and disappointment among many Ghanaians, who had widely followed Smith’s claim.
His cooking marathon had garnered support from several local celebrities, despite being an unsuccessful attempt. Smith remains in police custody without charges and has not commented on the allegations.
In recent times, several Ghanaians, including media personality Afua Asantewaa Aduonum and chef Failatu Abdul Razak, have attempted to break various Guinness World Records.
The current record for the longest cooking marathon is held by Ireland’s Alan Fisher, who cooked for 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds last year, surpassing the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Bacci.
