The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has disclosed that Ghanaian dancehall musician, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, alias Shatta Wale, has so far failed to identify the seller from whom he purchased a luxury vehicle, which is the subject of a criminal investigation.
According to a statement by EOCO dated Thursday, August 21, 2025, the agency said the artiste has also failed to show documentation as proof of purchase or transfer of ownership for the Lamborghini Urus.
“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. Charles Nii Armah Mensah does not also possess any documentation in terms of receipt or transfer documents which shows that he owns or purchased the said vehicle except a customs declaration document in his possession bearing the name of Nana Kwabena Amuah, who is currently in jail,” the statement said.
The statement by EOCO comes on the back of Shatta Wale’s detention by the agency on Wednesday, following a formal invitation to the musician to assist with an investigation into a 2019 Lamborghini Urus identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Justice Department as proceeds of a $4 million crime.
EOCO grants Shatta Wale GH¢10 million bail
“Charles Nii Armah Mensah, aka Shatta Wale, was invited by EOCO to assist in investigations surrounding a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a car identified by the FBI and the US Justice Department as proceeds of a $4 million crime involving one Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian who is currently serving a jail term in the USA. The investigation forms part of a larger investigation regarding possible co-conspirators in the $4 million crime which occurred in the US involving some Ghanaians and recoveries of the proceeds of the crime.
“Following requests from the FBI and the US Justice Department to EOCO to track the vehicle and conduct local investigations in respect of uncovering possible co-conspirators in Ghana, EOCO began looking for the vehicle until it was identified and seized in or around May this year in the possession of one Charles Nii Armah Mensah,” EOCO added.
The agency said the car in question had been forfeited to the US government following an order of Forfeiture of Substitute Assets issued by a US court in the case of the United States of America vs Nana Kwabena Amuah as restitution.
The investigative agency added that it extended an invitation to Shatta Wale to assist in investigations after he publicly claimed to have purchased the car at a price of $150,000 from an unidentified party.
EOCO said Shatta Wale was eventually granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million with two sureties after interrogation.
“On August 5, 2025, following a public claim by Charles Nii Armah Mensah that he purchased the car at a price of $150,000 from an unidentified party, EOCO issued an invitation to Charles Nii Armah Mensah to report on August 13, 2025, which appointment was rescheduled for August 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. to assist with investigations. Counsel for Charles Nii Armah Mensah indicated to EOCO officers that they would prefer to report at 11 a.m. EOCO readjusted its schedule to align with their time. Shortly before 11 a.m., counsel for Nii Armah called EOCO to claim that his client was not available and that he was also busy. EOCO indicated to counsel that he and his client were expected to report as scheduled.
“Charles Nii Armah Mensah arrived in the office around 3 p.m. and insisted that he was not going to cooperate until his counsel arrived, a right which he is entitled to and was accorded him. EOCO investigators and Charles Nii Armah Mensah waited from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. before his counsel showed up. Incidentally, EOCO’s closing time is 5 p.m. Nevertheless, EOCO staff and the entire operational team chose to carry on with the interrogation, which ended around 9 p.m. Officers eventually left the office around 11 p.m. Nii Armah was granted bail around 9 p.m. shortly after interrogation ended. He was granted bail of GH¢10,000,000 with two sureties to be justified,” the statement added.
EOCO said Shatta Wale will eventually be allowed to leave their custody once the sureties are presented and inspection conducted in line with protocols.
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