Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has been granted bail of GH₵10 million with two sureties after being detained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In a statement issued on Thursday, August 21, EOCO confirmed that Shatta Wale was invited to assist in ongoing investigations into a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, which American authorities have identified as proceeds of a $4 million fraud case involving Ghanaian national Nana Kwabena Amuah, who is currently serving a jail term in the United States.
According to the statement, “Nii Armah was granted bail around 9 pm shortly after interrogation ended. He was granted bail of GH₵10,000,000 with two sureties to be justified.”
The Office explained that once the sureties are presented and inspected, the musician will be released from custody.
The investigation follows a request from the FBI and the US Department of Justice for EOCO to trace the vehicle and identify possible co-conspirators in Ghana.
The luxury car was seized in May this year after it was found in Shatta Wale’s possession. On August 15, a United States District Court in Kentucky issued an order authorising the US Government to take possession of the Lamborghini as restitution for the crime.
EOCO explained that Shatta Wale had earlier claimed publicly that he bought the vehicle for $150,000. However, investigators said he could not prove this claim.
“So far, Charles Nii Armah Mensah has been unable to identify the person from whom he purchased the said Lamborghini Urus vehicle except to say that he purchased it from the ‘Street’ and from someone possibly called ‘ZAK’ who may have contacted him on WhatsApp but whose identity he does not know and whose contact he has thrown away,” the statement said.
The release further noted that the only documentation the artiste has presented is a customs declaration form bearing the name of Nana Kwabena Amuah, the convicted Ghanaian whose name is directly linked to the US case.
EOCO also detailed events on the day of interrogation, saying Shatta Wale arrived late for his scheduled appearance on August 20, and only agreed to cooperate after his lawyer arrived at 5 pm.
The questioning went on until 9 pm before bail was granted.
“Officers eventually left the Office around 11pm,” EOCO added.