Popular Ghanaian musician Shatta Wale has been detained in a tax investigation linked to his purchase of a luxury car, his management has said.
Wale’s yellow Lamborghini was seized earlier this month at the request of the US, which alleged that the vehicle was tied to the proceeds of a criminal enterprise.
The network allegedly involved another Ghanaian, Nana Kwabena Amuah, who is serving a seven-year jail term in the US for fraud.
Wale’s management did not mention the US’ allegations in their statement, saying instead that the artist was detained over “tax obligations”.
In a statement posted on social media, Wale’s team said he had “presented himself voluntarily” to Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (Eoco) on Wednesday afternoon.
The Eoco has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment.
Wale, real name Charles Nii Armah, is one of Ghana’s best-known stars.
He has built a hugely successful career on Jamaica’s dancehall sound, and boosted his global profile by collaborating with Beyoncé on her 2019 song Already.
After his Lamborghini was seized earlier this month in an investigation linked to Nana Kwabena Amuah, Wale denied knowledge of or connection to the Ghanaian.
He said he was “third-party owner” of the $150,000 (£110,000) car and that he did not know who had shipped it to the country.
Eoco said the car would be returned to the US to aid in the restitution of Amuah’s victims.
Amuah and his co-conspirators had impersonated vendors to defraud nearly 70 public and private organisations across the country, US court records show.
On Wednesday, Wale’s management urged fans to remain calm and avoid speculation while the musician remained in detention.
“We want to assure all fans and the general public that his legal team is fully engaged and actively working with the authorities to resolve this matter,” the statement said.
The seizure of Wale’s Lamborghini is part of a broader operation – Ghana has been working with the US to dismantle an international fraud network that targets Americans.
This month, the FBI and US Justice Department extradited and arrested three Ghanaian nationals alleged to be the masterminds of a $100m fraud scheme, which involved romance scams and phishing attacks.
