EOCO launches probe into Shatta Wale, ex-NSB official after luxury car linked to crime is seized

EOCO launches probe into Shatta Wale, ex-NSB official after luxury car linked to crime is seized

By: Nii Ammui Fio | 3 mins read

Ghanaian musician Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known in showbiz circles as Shatta Wale, and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau (NSB) are expected to be questioned by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) following the seizure of a luxury vehicle believed to be tied to the proceeds of fraud.

According to EOCO, the two individuals have been designated as persons of interest in an ongoing investigation into assets linked to Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian national currently serving a prison term in the United States. Amuah was convicted in 2023 for conspiracy to commit money laundering and other financial crimes.

The vehicle in question—a 2019 Lamborghini Urus used by Shatta Wale—was retrieved in June during a targeted operation by EOCO’s Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) at Trassaco Valley Phase 1, Accra. The operation was conducted based on a 2023 request from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Justice.

EOCO described the operation as “professional and civil,” and clarified that officers carried arms during the search in line with “standard safety protocol practice for the safety of officers.”

Per EOCO’s findings, the Lamborghini was acquired using proceeds from Amuah’s criminal network. The convicted fraudster, along with accomplices, attempted to siphon nearly $4 million by defrauding about 70 institutions in the United States. The funds were allegedly transferred into accounts linked to shell companies, including one named Gretson Company LLC.

During the seizure, Shatta Wale reportedly expressed concern over the public implications of the vehicle’s removal, stating, “the vehicle was a big part of his brand, and if his supporters saw the vehicle being driven away in the company of EOCO, it would destroy his brand.”

In light of this, officers allowed the artist to voluntarily hand over the car, which is now being held by EOCO.

Authorities in the United States are reportedly preparing a formal Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request to the Government of Ghana, seeking the repatriation of the Lamborghini as part of efforts to recover a court-ordered restitution sum of $4,743,443 owed by Amuah.

EOCO says it may also submit the final report of its investigation to U.S. authorities “as part of our ongoing cooperation.”

Additional reports identified one of Amuah’s co-conspirators, 24-year-old Shimea Maret McDonald, who allegedly possessed over 40 fake identity cards and played a key role in laundering stolen funds through shell companies. She has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

“This crime deprived businesses of their operating funds and caused significant harm to the well-being of the people who own and run those companies,” U.S. prosecutor Kathryn Dieruf noted in court.

In his plea for leniency, Amuah told the judge: “I ask for a second chance, and I promise you will never see me in this courtroom again.”

But U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell rejected the appeal, emphasizing that “the crimes he helped commit were incredibly serious.”

Meanwhile, Shatta Wale has broken silence over the matter. He has denied any link to a criminal ring over his Lamborghini acquisition.