The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has verified that it carried out a legitimate search and seizure operation at the home of Ghanaian dancehall performer Charles Nii Armah Mensah, better known by his stage name Shatta Wale, in Trassaco Valley Phase 1.
In June of this year, EOCO’s Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) conducted the operation in response to a 2023 request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of a global financial crime investigation.
A 2019 Lamborghini Urus purportedly linked to illegal earnings was seized by EOCO police during the operation.
The owner is Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian who is presently serving an 86-month term in the United States for a number of financial offenses. Authorities in Ghana and the United States claim that the car was tracked to Shatta Wale and was bought with money obtained from Amuah’s illegal business.
According to EOCO, the operation was carried out legally and incident-free. During the search, the police were characterized as “professional and civil.”
According to reports, Shatta Wale begged the police not to make the seizure public, stating that he was worried about the publicity harming his reputation because the car was essential to his brand image.
The car is currently in the custody of EOCO after he was allowed to willingly turn it in. EOCO explained that in order to protect the safety of the troops participating, it is routine procedure for SARU officers to be armed during such missions.
In an attempt to recoup a $4.7 million restitution order against Amuah, the FBI and DOJ are anticipated to submit a formal Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request to the Ghanaian government for the return of the Lamborghini to the United States.
Additionally, EOCO disclosed that two individuals have been identified as persons of interest: Shatta Wale and a former senior official of Ghana’s National Signals Bureau (NSB). It is anticipated that EOCO will extend an invitation to them to participate in the ongoing investigations.
As part of continued international cooperation, the Ghanaian crime office says it may provide the FBI and DOJ access to the final inquiry report.