Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has confirmed the seizure of a 2019 Lamborghini Urus from Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale, in a high-profile operation carried out in collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Justice Department.
In a statement issued Tuesday by EOCO’s Acting Executive Director Raymond Archer, the agency disclosed that the luxury vehicle was retrieved from Shatta Wale’s residence in Trassaco Valley Phase 1, Accra, as part of an ongoing investigation into proceeds of international financial crimes.
“In June this year, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, acting on a 2023 request from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the United States Justice Department, undertook an operation which led to a lawful search in a home at Trassaco Valley Phase 1, in Accra,” the statement read.
The vehicle was found to be connected to Nana Kwabena Amuah, a convict currently serving an 86-month sentence in the US for various financial crimes. The Lamborghini Urus, according to EOCO, is one of several assets being traced and recovered as part of Amuah’s $4.74 million restitution to US authorities.
The statement further revealed that Shatta Wale, born Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., was cooperative during the operation and requested to surrender the vehicle voluntarily to avoid attracting public attention.
“Nii Armah had pleaded with officers that he did not want the seizure to be made public because the vehicle was a big part of his brand… He was allowed to surrender the vehicle himself, which is currently in the possession of EOCO,” the agency stated.
EOCO also addressed questions surrounding the presence of armed operatives, clarifying that it was standard practice during operations by the Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) for safety reasons.
Looking ahead, EOCO confirmed that it expects to receive a formal Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request from the US government to repatriate the vehicle, noting that both Shatta Wale and a former officer of the National Signal Bureau have been classified as persons of interest in the investigation and will be invited for questioning.
The agency stated it may share its final investigative report with US counterparts as part of ongoing international cooperation.
Reacting to the development, Shatta Wale took to Facebook to express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the operation.
“Raymond Archer, EOCO Boss, Ibe, you go make NDC go out of power next 4 years. Bringing guns to my house was uncalled for,” he wrote.
In another post, the singer added:
“EOCO boss, the president of Ghana didn’t put you in that office to come and humiliate the citizens of this country. Remember, God no sleep.”
