Popular Ghanaian dancehall artist Charles Nii Armah Mensah, widely known as Shatta Wale, was arrested on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in Accra in connection with an ongoing tax- and fraud-related investigation.
According to a report by the BBC, the singer’s arrest is tied to issues surrounding a luxury Lamborghini Urus he acquired in 2019. The yellow vehicle, worth over $150,000, had earlier been seized following claims by US authorities that it was purchased with proceeds from a criminal enterprise.
The case is linked to a wider probe involving Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian serving a seven-year jail term in the United States for orchestrating multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.
Court filings in the US revealed that Amuah and his accomplices defrauded about 70 organizations by posing as legitimate vendors. The FBI and US Justice Department have since identified the Lamborghini as part of the $4 million illicit proceeds tied to the fraud network.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) confirmed that Shatta Wale was invited for questioning regarding the vehicle. After several hours of interrogation, he was granted bail of ₵10 million with two sureties.
Investigators disclosed that the artist failed to provide valid documents proving legal ownership of the car, except for a customs declaration form bearing Amuah’s name. Wale allegedly told investigators that he bought the vehicle “off the street” from an individual simply known as Zak, whose full identity and contact information he no longer possesses.
Reacting to the development, Shatta Wale’s management clarified that his detention was strictly linked to “tax obligations,” avoiding any direct mention of the US fraud allegations. In a statement shared online, they assured fans that the artist voluntarily honoured EOCO’s invitation and that his legal team is cooperating with the authorities.
Authorities in Ghana and the United States are reportedly working together to repatriate the Lamborghini to the US for restitution to Amuah’s victims. This development comes as part of broader efforts to dismantle international fraud operations, with recent cases seeing Ghanaian nationals extradited to the US over a $100 million internet scam involving romance fraud and phishing attacks.
Meanwhile, fans of Shatta Wale have been urged to remain calm as the investigation continues.