Supporters of Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra on Wednesday after the musician was detained in connection with a luxury vehicle seized at the request of US authorities.
The car, a yellow 2019 Lamborghini Urus valued at $150,000, was confiscated earlier this month after investigators in the United States linked it to proceeds of fraud. According to EOCO, the vehicle was tied to a $4 million criminal case involving Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian currently serving a seven-year sentence in the US for wire fraud.
Shatta Wale, whose real name is Charles Nii Armah, voluntarily appeared before EOCO and was questioned over his ownership of the vehicle. He has denied any association with Amuah, insisting he was a “third-party owner” and had no knowledge of how the Lamborghini was shipped into Ghana.
His management, however, downplayed the US allegations, stating that his detention was connected to “tax obligations.” “We want to assure all fans and the general public that his legal team is fully engaged and working with the authorities to resolve this matter,” the team said in a statement.
After interrogation, Wale was granted bail set at 10 million Ghanaian cedis (£910,000; $675,000). EOCO confirmed he would remain in custody until his bail sureties were verified. The agency added that the Lamborghini would be returned to the US to support restitution efforts for Amuah’s victims.
US court documents show that Amuah and his associates defrauded nearly 70 American organisations by posing as vendors. The seizure of Wale’s car forms part of an ongoing joint operation between Ghanaian authorities and US agencies to dismantle international fraud syndicates.
Earlier in August, three Ghanaians accused of orchestrating a $100 million scheme involving phishing and romance scams were extradited to the US as part of the same crackdown.
