Shatta Wale was detained in Accra on Wednesday (August 20) by Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in connection with a 2019 Lamborghini Urus.

Shatta Wale, whose real name is Charles Nii Armah Mensah, surrendered the vehicle earlier this month to authorities following an ongoing investigation by the FBI and the EOCO into a $4 million fraud scheme in the US that landed Ghanaian national, Nana Kwabena Amuah, in prison.

Amuah allegedly defrauded the city of Lexington, Kentucky, when he reportedly impersonated nonprofit organizations and tricked city officials into sending multiple wire transfers to several shell companies. He was sentenced in 2023 to seven years in federal prison. However, authorities have since been actively trying to recover the stolen money and have been seizing assets, including the Lamborghini from Shatta Wale.

The EOCO said in a statement that the investigation is part of a “$4 million crime that occurred in the U.S. involving some Ghanaians and the recovery of the crime’s proceeds.”

Shatta Wale was granted bail in the amount of 10 million Ghana cedis, with two sureties, which the authorities are verifying before his release from jail. His lawyers say they are “fully engaged and actively working with the authorities to resolve this matter.”

Wale reportedly told investigators that he bought the Lamborghini from the streets for $150,000 from a WhatsApp contact that he said he has since discarded. However, EOCO said the artist has yet to produce any purchasing paperwork for the luxury vehicle.

In the meantime, Shatta Wale’s supporters have since mounted a protest outside the EOCO headquarters in Accra. Popular Ghanaian music manager Bullet also criticized authorities for targeting successful musicians. He says the system is designed to keep Ghana’s celebrities “poor” despite the success of musicians like Shatta Wale.