Popular Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale, has been detained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in connection with a tax investigation tied to his luxury Lamborghini.
The yellow Lamborghini, valued at about $150,000 (£110,000), was seized earlier this month at the request of US authorities, who allege the vehicle is linked to the proceeds of a criminal enterprise involving Ghanaian fraudster, Nana Kwabena Amuah. Amuah is currently serving a seven-year prison term in the US for fraud.
In a statement posted on social media, Shatta Wale’s management confirmed his detention, saying the artiste had “presented himself voluntarily” to EOCO on Wednesday afternoon. They stressed that the detention was over “tax obligations” and did not address the US’ criminal allegations.
Shatta Wale, born Charles Nii Armah, has denied any wrongdoing, insisting he was only a “third-party owner” of the Lamborghini and had no knowledge of who imported the vehicle. EOCO, however, has indicated that the car will be returned to the US to aid restitution efforts for Amuah’s victims.
Amuah and his associates were found guilty in the US of impersonating vendors to defraud nearly 70 organisations. Ghanaian and US authorities are now collaborating to dismantle what they describe as a wide-reaching international fraud network targeting Americans.
Earlier this month, the FBI and US Justice Department extradited and arrested three other Ghanaian nationals accused of masterminding a $100m fraud scheme involving romance scams and phishing attacks.
Shatta Wale, regarded as one of Ghana’s biggest music stars and popularly dubbed the “dancehall king,” rose to global prominence after featuring on Beyoncé’s 2019 hit Already.
His management has urged fans to stay calm while his legal team works to resolve the issue.
