Popular Ghanaian musician Shatta Wale has been detained in an investigation linked to his purchase of a luxury car, the Ghanaian authorities have said.
Wale’s yellow Lamborghini was seized earlier this month at the request of the US, which alleged that the vehicle was tied to the proceeds of a criminal enterprise.
Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (Eoco) said Wale voluntarily entered custody on Wednesday and was subsequently questioned over the car.
Wale’s management did not mention the US’ allegations in their statement, saying instead that the artist was detained over “tax obligations”.
The 2019 Lamborghini Urus was identified by the FBI and US justice department as being linked to “a $4m ($3m) crime involving one Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian who is currently serving jail in the USA”, Eoco said on Thursday.
Wale has denied knowing or being connected to Amuah, who received a seven-year sentence for fraud in 2023.
He said he was a “third-party owner” of the $150,000 (£110,000) car and that he did not know who had shipped it to the country.
Wale, real name Charles Nii Armah, is one of Ghana’s best-known musicians.
He has built a hugely successful career on Jamaica’s dancehall sound, and boosted his global profile by collaborating with Beyoncé on her 2019 song Already.
After being questioned, Wale was granted bail of 10,000,000 Ghanaian cedis (£910,00; £675,000), Eoco said.
It added that the musician would remain in custody until the agency confirms that the sureties specified in the bail could be met.
Meanwhile, a small crowd of Wale’s fans gathered outside Eoco’s offices in the capital city Accra to show solidarity with the musician.
Eoco previously said Wale’s Lamborghini would be returned to the US to aid in the restitution of Amuah’s victims.
Amuah and his co-conspirators had impersonated vendors to defraud nearly 70 public and private organisations across the country, US court records show.
On Wednesday, Wale’s management urged fans to remain calm and avoid speculation while the musician remained in detention.
“We want to assure all fans and the general public that his legal team is fully engaged and actively working with the authorities to resolve this matter,” the statement said.
The seizure of Wale’s car is part of a broader operation – Ghana has been working with the US to dismantle an international fraud network that targets Americans.
This month, the FBI and US Justice Department extradited and arrested three Ghanaian nationals alleged to be the masterminds of a $100m fraud scheme, which involved romance scams and phishing attacks.
By BBC News
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