EOCO seizes Shattawale’s luxury car in joint FBI-backed probe into proceeds of crime

Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has seized a high-end Lamborghini Urus from popular dancehall artist Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known in showbiz circles as Shatta Wale, following a joint operation linked to an ongoing international investigation into financial crimes.

According to an official press release issued by EOCO on Tuesday evening, the operation was conducted in June at a residence in Trassaco Valley Phase 1, Accra.

It stemmed from a 2023 request from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The vehicle in question—a 2019 Lamborghini Urus—is suspected to have been purchased with proceeds from a fraudulent scheme run by convicted Ghanaian-American national, Nana Kwabena Amuah, who is currently serving an 86-month sentence in the United States for multiple financial crimes.

The operation was carried out by EOCO’s Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), which lawfully searched the property and identified the luxury SUV.

Though the vehicle was registered under Shatta Wale’s name, U.S. authorities believe it is connected to Amuah’s $4.7 million restitution case.

Sources say Shatta Wale cooperated with authorities during the seizure and requested that the matter be kept away from the public eye to avoid damaging his brand.

In response, EOCO allowed him to voluntarily surrender the vehicle, which is now in the agency's custody.

As a precautionary measure, SARU officers were armed during the operation, in line with EOCO's standard security protocols.

U.S. authorities are preparing to formally request the repatriation of the seized Lamborghini through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement, as efforts to recover Amuah's criminal proceeds intensify.

Shatta Wale and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau (NSB) have both been identified as persons of interest in the wider investigation. EOCO confirmed that both individuals will be invited to assist in ongoing inquiries.

The final investigation report may be shared with the FBI and U.S. Justice Department, reaffirming the strong cooperation between the Ghanaian and U.S. law enforcement agencies.

This development marks one of the most high-profile asset recovery cases involving a Ghanaian celebrity, and it could have significant implications for both local and international investigations into financial crime and money laundering.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith