Dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., popularly known as Shatta Wale, has been granted bail of GH₵10 million with two sureties after being detained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The musician had been held in connection with a yellow Lamborghini Urus that investigators say is tied to an ongoing tax and asset-tracing probe.
His manager, Samuel Atuobi Baah, confirmed the bail on Thursday, August 21, 2025, explaining that the legal team was working to settle the conditions.
“We urge the SM Family and all well-wishers to remain calm and avoid any speculation. We have the utmost confidence in the judicial process,” he said in a statement. The team maintained that Shatta Wale had reported voluntarily to EOCO the previous day in the company of his lawyer, Cephas Biyuo, to assist with inquiries.
The case stems from EOCO’s seizure of a 2019 Lamborghini Urus from Shatta Wale’s Trassaco Valley residence in June this year. According to EOCO, the operation was executed on the back of a 2023 request from the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Justice. American authorities alleged that the vehicle was linked to the criminal proceeds of Nana Kwabena Amuah, a Ghanaian convicted of large-scale financial fraud and serving an 86-month prison sentence in the United States.
In a statement signed by Acting Executive Director Raymond Archer, EOCO disclosed that the luxury car is now in its possession and will likely be returned to the US as part of a $4.7 million restitution order against Amuah. The agency also revealed that Shatta Wale had initially pleaded with officers not to publicize the seizure, citing fears of reputational damage.
Legal experts say the situation may hinge on Ghana’s Sale of Goods Act, 1962 (Act 137), which limits the rights of third-party buyers if property is proven to have been acquired through fraudulent means. This principle means that even buyers acting in good faith, such as Shatta Wale claims to be, could lose ownership if the Lamborghini is confirmed as stolen or tainted property.
Meanwhile, EOCO has assessed Shatta Wale and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau as persons of interest in the broader investigation and has not ruled out further questioning. For now, the artiste remains on bail as his legal team prepares for the next phase of proceedings, while his fan base—the SM Family—has been urged to avoid speculation and await formal updates.
